Over the last 20 years, more than a million cases of bug-borne diseases have been reported to the CDC. And that’s only a fraction of how many people were actually infected. Here’s what to know about three of the most common: Lyme disease, tick bite red meat allergy, and West Nile virus.
“Climate change is here,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in July, the hottest month ever recorded. “It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning.” Here’s the latest on a planet entering off-the-charts territory...and the difference your diet can make.
Things aren’t looking good for Planet Earth.
“If you look at average temperatures around the world going back to 1850, what’s most worrisome is the acceleration in climate change,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing, global temperatures keep rising, and our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a climate conference in November. “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” Here’s how climate change is already putting us at risk...and what you can do about it.
Serving for serving, beef creates far more greenhouse gases than any other food. And processed meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and cold cuts increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Yet Americans eat much more meat than most of the world. And American men eat far more meat than American women. No doubt, many men enjoy their burgers, bacon, steak, and ribs. But could some men also prefer red meat because it’s considered “manly”? Researchers decided to find out.
“When we say we’ve got some big news, we mean Big Mouth big,” crowed Chili’s October press release announcing four new burgers.
“Because go big or go home, right? Two of the new Big Mouth Burgers boast two (yes, TWO) beef patties for a full pound of beef!”
Just what you—and our sweltering planet—need! (See cover story.) Remember when people thought a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder was big? Half-pounders soon made them look puny. But that was just the start.
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions and diet, some changes pack a bigger punch than others.
“We looked at the thousands and thousands of different food items that individuals reported eating in the previous 24 hours, and ranked them,” says Diego Rose, professor of nutrition and food security at Tulane University.
“We believe beef can be a solution for climate change,” says the Low Carbon Beef website.
“Backed by rigorous life-cycle assessments and process verification, Low Carbon Beef delivers a high-quality, environmentally conscious certification so that we can all feel good about putting beef on the grill.”
