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Tuesday 7 June 2016

Would you switch from butter to margarine to save the planet?

NEW analysis has revealed the environmental benefits of reducing butter in our diets.

According to analysis, over a third of the carbon footprint of a block of butter is the result of methane produced by cows. 
This is worrying news for environmentalists as methane is 25 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Plant-based alternatives to animal-derived products have significantly lower impacts on climate change, freshwater consumption and land use than dairy alternatives - according to Flora Freedom. 
The campaign is urging members of the public to reduce their dairy intake by swapping butter for the dairy-free spread for one day a week.
It's believed if a family of four were to switch from butter to margarine for just one day a week over the course of a year, it could reduce its carbon emissions by the same amount used to keep a TV on standby for seven years or the equivalent of watching four seasons of Game of Thrones.
The news comes as it was revealed today the best eating pattern to aid weight loss is actually the Mediterranean diet
Speaking about the Carbon Trust research, Caroline Jary, Director of Flora Freedom UK, said: "There’s plenty of evidence to show that plant-based foods are healthy. 
"Not only are they good for you but this research by the Carbon Trust has also proven that they are better for the environment. 
"By making simple swaps such as replacing butter with plant based Flora Freedom, which is delicious and dairy free, we can start taking steps towards helping our planet."
Tom Cumberlege from the Carbon Trust added: "If lots of people make small changes to their lifestyles it can collectively make a big difference to the environment. 
"Transitioning to a diet that is more plant-based and contains less meat and dairy is one example of this. 
"To put things into perspective, the UK public eats 140,000 tonnes of butter each year. The carbon footprint associated with making this much butter is on a par with powering all the homes in Liverpool and Southampton for 12 months."
So Unilever reckons it's new vegan spread Flora Freedom could save the planet, or maybe due to shrinking sales they are more concerned about profits 

Graham

6 comments:

Adam said...

I rarely use it period

Linda said...

Margarine is not real food, so no. Maybe drizzle on olive oil in some cases, but normally I use goat butter because cow dairy makes me bloat.

Margaret D said...

No.
Always butter.

DeniseinVA said...

As I get older I seem to eat more meatless dishes and I rarely eat butter. Who knew I was helping the environment in my own small way? Very interesting, thank you for sharing this.

Passthecream said...

Probably didn't make an allowance for the methane emitted by those who consume their lovely products.

The Happy Whisk said...

Big FAT PASS on both of them for me. No thanks to either.

Happy Weekend :)