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Stop Lamb, Beer Consumption To Save The Planet: UK Govt Adviser

by VR Sreeraman on May 26 2009 3:54 PM

A Government adviser in the U.K. suggests that people stop consuming lamb and beer to save the planet.

David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, says that people should eat pork and chicken instead, as they produce fewer carbon emissions.

This suggestion follows a Government-funded study into greenhouse gases, which revealed that producing 2.2lbs of lamb was the equivalent of releasing 37lbs of carbon dioxide.

The study also found that vegetables like tomatoes only produce 20lbs of CO2, while potatoes release about 1lb of CO2, for each 2.2lbs of food.

Cows have also been found to be damaging to the environment, with the study showing that they release the equivalent of 35lbs of CO2 per 2.2lbs.

Besides, the study revealed that alcoholic drinks contributed significantly to emissions, with the growing and processing of hops and malt into beer and whisky producing 1.5 per cent of Britain's greenhouse gases.

"Changing our lifestyles, including our diets, is going to be one of the crucial elements in cutting carbon emissions," the Telegraph quoted David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, as saying.

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The Government advisor has himself stopped eating doner kebabs, as they contain lamb.

"We are not saying that everyone should become vegetarian or give up drinking but moving towards less carbon intensive foods will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health," he said.

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The findings of the research attain significance considering that Britain has determined to reduce greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050.

Meanwhile, Government-funded firm The Carbon Trust is working with food and drink companies to calculate the "carbon footprints" of products.

Source-ANI
SRM


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