Study: Denver's meat diet packs a big climate punch
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The climate impact of Denverites' diets outpaces the national average, even though they eat less meat than most Americans, according to a new, first-of-its-kind study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Why it matters: The research maps how greenhouse gas emissions from eating beef, pork and chicken — what scientists call the "carbon hoofprint" — vary by city depending on where and how animals are raised and processed.
By the numbers: People in the Denver–Aurora area eat roughly 172 pounds of meat per person each year, according to a Washington Post analysis of the study's data.
- That adds up to 1,199 kilograms of CO2 emissions per person — above the national per-capita average of 1,093 kilograms, despite lower meat consumption.
- Denver's relatively high hoofprint reflects the West's reliance on emissions-heavy feedlots and long supply chains.
Zoom out: Across U.S. cities, meat consumption produces 329 million metric tons of CO2 annually — roughly equal to all fossil fuels burned in American homes and more than the U.K.'s yearly total, the study found.
- Beef alone accounts for 73% of those emissions.
- Per-person footprints range from 500 kilograms of CO2 in Houghton, Michigan, to 1,731 kilograms in Richmond, Missouri.
The big picture: Cutting emissions doesn't mean going vegan. The study found Americans could halve their hoofprint by wasting less food, swapping some beef for pork or chicken, and skipping meat once a week.
What they're saying: "You don't have to cut out any single meat to have really significant shifts in your hoofprint," lead study author Ben Goldstein told the Washington Post.
What's next: The team says cities can use these findings to guide food policy — from sourcing and waste reduction to encouraging low-carbon diets in schools and hospitals.