THE BIGGEST CLIMATE KILLER OF ALL

We bake with it, spread it on bread, and impart creamy flavor to myriad meals. What many don’t realize is butter production generates huge quantities of greenhouse gases per pound (about 3.5 times more than its plantbased equivalents). Flatulent cows are largely to blame. Livestock are deemed responsible for up to 14% of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. That’s because they release methane when they burp and break wind, and while CO2 gets the most bad publicity as a greenhouse gas, methane is around 80 times more potent when it comes to warming the environment. In fact, it is responsible for about 25% of global warming overall. But that’s not to say that butter production doesn’t generate CO2: For every pound of butter produced, an average of 27 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted, compared with 7 pounds for plant-based margarine. Plant-based spreads that are made from vegetable oils also have less impact in terms of water and land usage. From the perspective of human health, a plant-based spread can be better for your heart. Butter is an animal fat. Thus it contains more saturated fat than most margarines. But margarine can contain trans fat, which raises “bad” cholesterol and lowers “good” cholesterol and is considered the worst type of fat you can eat. According to the Mayo Clinic: “A diet laden with trans fats increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of adults.” WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Vegetable oil products can often replace butter in recipes. To substitute margarine, the Mayo Clinic recommends: “Look for a spread that doesn’t have trans fats and has the least saturated fat, and limit the amount you use to limit the calories.”