All of you have calculated your emissions and you have surely discovered the unexpectedly high impact of some of your behaviors (eating meat, flying to a sunny destination, etc.) on your total footprints.
Are there any behaviors that you are really willing to change or to improve for the sake of the environment? What challenges do you encounter or think you will encounter while trying to change these things? What help, support, and insights from others would make your life easier with these new behaviors?
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Food based carbon
large amounts of peoples carbon footprints comes from their consumption of food, specifically meat. when you look at how much carbon you can keep from entering the atmosphere just by reducing your meat consumption I'm sure you would be astonished. For example just by switching my meat consumption to "Vegan 90% of the time or more" I reduce my carbon footprint by nearly 1700 kgs. Personally I would be okay with giving up meat in general for the better of the earth. Though I feel it could be challenging considering I still live at home with my family and don't decide what I eat for certain meals. I say challenging, not impossible. Different ideas for overcoming this obstacle could be cooking for the household more and more times per week, communicating with your family about possible eating more plant based food, and doing the grocery shopping for the household. Or another option could be the whole house going vegan, assuming that everyone is happy to comply. Other things that create lots of carbon are eating non organic foods. Foods that were imported from far away on a car or an airplane add immense amounts to your carbon footprint. You could help this by making more of an effort to shop at local grocery stores and making sure the food you buy is organic.
people who eat meat every day special red meat have a large amount of carbon footprint because the farms that the animal lives in, farms use a lot of water and food resources to feed the animals, and don't forget the amount waste that the animals producer.
people who eat meat every day special red meat have a large amount of carbon footprint because the farms that the animal lives in, farms use a lot of water and food resources to feed the animals, and don't forget the amount of waste that the animals produce.
I agree with you both that reducing meat and dairy consumption is a very impactful way to lower your carbon impact. My brother and his wife were always big eaters of meat and dairy, and when they turned 50, they not only wanted to eat healthier, they also wanted to live more sustainably. So they started a diet suggested by Mark Bittman called "VB6" - meaning "vegan before 6pm".
In doing this they didn't have to give up 100% of their meat and dairy all at once (most people when they try that revert to meat eating after a short time) while still having a big impact on their carbon production, and also living healthier! That could be something to suggest to parents who don't want to give up meat entirely but are interested in trying a little change.
Oh and one more benefit! My brother is a great cook, and since he went VB6 he's an even better cook, because he's now got a wider range of skills, versatility and ideas in the kitchen.