So, you want to change the world, eh? Turned off by the suggestion (visit the link, then scroll down about 3/4 of the page) to eat-less-meat and wondering just how significant the meat-emission link might be? (There’s bad news for cheese too, unfortunately.)

Reading through the current issue of WorldArk this morning (the May/June 2008 issue — not yet available online) I discovered an excellent resource to aid in determining what impact our individual food choices ultimately have on the environment. (Click on the image to the right for an enlarged view.) The site, Eat Low Carbon Diet Calculator, presents a simple interface for quickly analyzing the carbon impact of various food choices.

While I take issue with having to plop fresh fruit into an iron skillet to simulate consumption, the tool is nonetheless very helpful. For instance, I was surprised to see the significant impact of tofu and rice, though when I think through the production cycle of each, the numbers make a bit more sense. I was glad to see that locally sourced seafood remains a good source of protein, and not surprised at all to see the impact of beef. Enjoy!