Climates press release 30th November 2016

2016 is set to be the hottest year on record with preliminary data indicating global warming reaching 1.2oC. As we get perilously close to the 1.5oC limit agreed at the Paris climate summit, Climates social network is calling on people to focus on food to help limit climate change and make their New Year’s resolution to go climatarian.

‘If you make just one New Year’s resolution for 2017, pledge to go climatarian,’ says Biba Hartigan, Director of Climates. ‘Just a simple diet shift can have a really big impact. If everyone in the UK went climatarian it would cut 10% of UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. It’s the easiest way for people to help the climate and it’s good for your health too.’

Simply swapping beef and lamb for pork and poultry in your everyday meals knocks a whole tonne off your annual carbon footprint. That’s equivalent to the emissions from driving 3,500 miles or six short-haul flights but much easier to achieve. You don’t have to change your lifestyle or even your cooking habits. Reducing consumption of red and processed meat has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The latest meteorological data reveals that climate change is now an acute problem. It needs to be addressed with urgency at every level, government, business and individual. Food causes 24% of global greenhouse gases which is comparable to all the emissions from electricity and heat (25%) and far more than transport (14%). Food is where individuals have a significant role to play as a small change in diet can have a surprisingly large impact.

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, 2016 is set to be the hottest year on record with global temperatures even higher than the record-breaking temperatures in 2015. 16 of the warmest 17 years on record have occurred this century. Long term climate change indicators are also continuing to break records:

Arctic sea ice is at its second ever lowest level;

Sea levels are rising faster;

Ocean warming has bleached half the Great Barrier Reef;

Major weather events in 2016 included Hurricane Matthew which devastated Haiti, heavy flooding in North Korea, Fiji’s worst ever cyclone, Canada’s worst ever wildfire, flooding in the Yangtse basin, while India, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran saw temperatures soar to over 50oC;

Despite global emissions levelling out, concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to rise to new record levels.

Urgent action is required now to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees to prevent dangerous and irreversible climate change. The easiest and most effective action for individuals is to go climatarian. It’s not all or nothing. Even if you go climatarian half the time you’ll still be making a real difference.

Pledge to go climatarian at www.climatarian.com and watch your carbon savings grow day by day.

Photo under creative commons licence.