I am not a self-righteous vegetarian.  In fact, I’m quite an insecure vegetarian, frequently seeking justification for my one or two servings of dairy a day and the occasional egg.  I say to myself, “it’s okay since I only buy and consume dairy and eggs from local, organic sources…right?”  And thus begins the insecurity.  There’s always a voice in the back of my head reminding me that by eating any animal product, I remain complicit with the meat industry.  But, I choose not to be a strict vegan, and instead try to strike a balance between a mostly vegan diet and a conscious vegetarian diet.

My reasons for relying primarily on plant food sources are many, but a major factor in my initial decision to become vegetarian was the environmental costs associated with the meat industry– many of which, I would argue, are externalized.  A 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN found that animal agriculture emits 18% of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. (1)  That’s more than the transportation sector.  Needless to say, increased meat consumption worldwide thus contributes heavily to climate change and its consequences– including, somewhat ironically, threats to food yields.

While discussions of climate change often focus on carbon dioxide as the guilty party, other greenhouse gases– namely methane and nitrous oxide– are also major contributers, and also have a greater greenhouse warming potential (gwp) than carbon dioxide.  Agriculture is a major contributer of these latter two, but other parts of the food system contribute carbon dioxide from the use of fossil fuels in transport, processing, retailing, storage, and preparation. (2)
Even with a high degree of processing and a long journey from farm to plate, vegetables and fruits are quite low in terms of their “greenhouse gas load” whereas beef, cheese, and pork are among the highest. (3)   Cheese?  I suppose that makes sense, but I can imagine that this is depressing news for many vegetarians.

So while meat eaters have a straight-forward strategy to reducing the environmental impact of their diet (meatless Mondays, anyone?), a vegetarian’s challenge is reducing his or her consumption of dairy and eggs.

But, as with all things, I believe reducing the environmental impact of our diets is about striking a balance.  A vegan diet can be socially limiting, and, in some cases, highly processed (think veggie crumbles, soy cheese, chik’n…) which is one reason I have chosen to be vegetarian.  Instead, I limit my consumption of animal products and, when I do buy milk or eggs, I choose them mindfully.

The bottom line?  No one is off the hook when it comes to the environmental impact of his or her diet.  We all have ways in which we can become more conscious consumers and thus contribute to a more sustainable food system.

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Read the original post at The Climate Community.