Ahead of the holiday season, the Yale Climate Connections editorial team - Sara Peach, Pearl Marvell, and Sam Harrington - delved deep into the complex relationship between food, climate change, and our daily lives. This discussion has been carefully edited and condensed to bring you the most essential insights.

Uncover the Hidden Climate Impact of Holiday Food Choices

When Did the Concern for Food and Climate Change Begin?

Sara Peach switched to being a vegetarian in college when she became concerned about environmental issues. She remained mostly vegetarian for decades but had to stop due to medical reasons. She still avoids beef as it's the top contributor to climate change among typical proteins. Sara finds joy in cooking vegetarian dishes like tacos with black beans and roasted sweet potatoes.Sam Harrington started thinking about food and its climate impact around the same time. He now lives in the flexitarian space, cooking mostly vegetarian for himself but eating whatever is served at others' houses. He doesn't like the taste of "Impossible meat" and prefers a simple black bean burger.Pearl Marvell became a vegetarian at 10 after seeing a chicken get its head chopped off. She still has an affinity for cheese but has chosen more vegetarian options over the years. She recently had an amazing experience with a vegan food truck in Puerto Rico that served a fried mushroom sandwich and a chili with tofu and taro chips.

Trophic Levels and the Efficiency of Food Choices

Sara Peach introduced the concept of trophic levels, explaining that eating plants directly from the sun is more efficient than eating meat. When we eat a cow, it has already used a lot of the energy from the plants it ate to stay alive and grow. This makes eating meat a less efficient way to transfer the sun's energy to our mouths and requires more land and resources.Pearl Marvell agreed and mentioned that they have done radio stories about meatless Mondays as a moderate way to reduce meat consumption. Sara suggested that the flexitarian model is helpful as it allows for some meat while still focusing on vegetables and plant-based foods.Sam Harrington shared his experience of being afraid of cooking meat and now mostly cooking vegetarian. He also mentioned that a turkey burger is better than a regular hamburger in terms of climate impact.

Food Waste and Its Impact on Climate

Sara Peach now has a schedule for removing science experiments from her fridge every two weeks to reduce food waste. She and her partner also have a compost bin and have reduced their trash by at least 50%. Sam Harrington tries to freeze produce that he won't use before it goes bad. Pearl Marvell learned that South Korea turns nearly 98% of their food waste into biogas, fertilizer, and livestock feed, and in France, supermarkets have to donate unused food.Pearl Marvell started composting in 2020 and was amazed by the results. She can now use the compost for her garden and feels good about reducing waste. Sam Harrington is jealous of cities that have municipal compost pickup with trash and takes food scraps to farmers' markets.

Plant-Forward Holiday Food Options

Sara Peach doesn't like roast turkey and prefers mushroom tacos. Pearl Marvell would rather have a seasoned roasted chicken than a turkey and loves crispy sliced potatoes with seasoning. Sam Harrington likes green beans, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and cranberry sauce. He also mentioned his girlfriend's good mushroom pie.Pearl Marvell used to dislike mushrooms but now loves them, especially in Bolognese. Sara Peach shared a portobello mushroom sandwich recipe from the New York Times. Sam Harrington joked about their "mushroom propaganda" and how they have developed a hyperfixation on jello salads.Only 28% of U.S. residents regularly hear about climate change in the media, but 77% want to know more. Help bring climate news to more people by republishing our articles for free under a Creative Commons license.