The hidden costs of our diets: A global perspective on environmental pressure
Shifting global diets to more sustainable options presents a potential solution to mitigate both climate change and food insecurity. However, making such changes on a global scale comes with significant challenges, as diet shifts in one region can have far-reaching environmental and social consequences.
“We wanted to know who would actually be feeling the change from the food production if these shifts occur,” said Ben Halpern, director at UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis (NCEAS) and coauthor on the study.
Halpern, alongside data analyst Joe DeCesaro, and an international team of researchers, examined the environmental impacts of four different diet scenarios: the Indian diet, Mediterranean diet, EAT-Lancet (largely plant-based), and average government-recommended food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs).
Their findings, published in Environmental Research Letters, reveal the environmental consequences of global shifts toward these diets.
Among the four, the Indian diet, which avoids red meat, emerged as the most beneficial, potentially reducing global environmental pressure by 20.9%. In contrast, following FBDGs could lead to a 35.2% increase in global environmental pressure, largely due to their emphasis on higher red meat consumption.
The study underscores that higher-income countries, with their already high consumption levels, would see significant reductions in environmental pressure if they shifted toward more sustainable diets. However, lower-income countries could experience increased pressures, although this may be offset by improvements in food security and nutrition.
DeCesaro emphasized that the shift toward plant-based diets might increase food production-related pressures in poorer countries, yet this could be mitigated by sharing sustainable agricultural practices and ensuring equitable access to efficiently produced foods. The research highlights the need for international cooperation to balance dietary shifts with global environmental and social goals.
Journal Reference:
Joseph M DeCesaro et al. ‘The distribution of environmental pressures from global dietary shift’, Environmental Research Letters 19, 12, 124006 (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad8509
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by University of California – Santa Barbara
Tackling global challenges through Mesoscience
Complex systems across science, engineering, and society often share underlying principles that can be harnessed to solve pressing global challenges, including climate change.
In a recent Perspective published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, Professor Li Jinghai from the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored how the concept of “Mesoscience” could provide new pathways for understanding and addressing complex global issues.
Mesoscience, as articulated by Li, emerged from the study of gas–solid fluidization systems, where two competing physical mechanisms coexist. This led to the discovery of a “compromise-in-competition” (CIC) principle, which Li extended to other complex systems.
By applying Mesoscience, researchers aim to identify common patterns in seemingly disparate fields, which could guide solutions for tackling challenges like climate change, sustainable development, and public health.
“The deduction of commonality from diversity will help resolve global challenges,” Li explained, proposing that future research into Mesoscience could illuminate universal laws that guide complexity at various levels. This approach, Li believes, could bridge knowledge gaps and accelerate scientific progress on a global scale.
Journal Reference:
Jinghai Li, ‘The principle of compromise-in-competition: understanding mesoscale complexity of different levels’, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences 480, 2301 (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2024.0031
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The role of direct democracy in reducing emissions
A new study by Prof. Yacov Tsur from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has explored the relationship between democratic governance and greenhouse gas emissions, shedding light on how different democratic features impact environmental outcomes.
Using data from over 150 countries spanning three decades, Tsur’s research, published in Ecological Economics, identifies Direct Popular Voting as the most effective democratic attribute in reducing emissions.
The study highlights that by reflecting the preferences of a broad electorate, direct popular voting helps counterbalance the influence of interest groups, enabling more impactful climate policies. Civil Society Participation was also found to be significant, especially in higher-income countries.
However, the study points out that individual rights and freedoms in liberal democracies can sometimes hinder the implementation of stringent environmental regulations, complicating efforts to reduce emissions.
Prof. Tsur emphasized that while democracy often stimulates economic growth, it can initially drive up emissions, particularly as countries develop. However, once a certain economic threshold is reached, democracy begins to support emissions reductions. The findings have implications for designing climate policies that respect democratic values while achieving sustainability goals.
Journal Reference:
Yacov Tsur, ‘The diverse impacts of democracy on greenhouse gas emissions’, Ecological Economics 227, 108411 (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108411
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Featured image credit: Gerd Altmann | Pixabay
