Catholic Church can reduce carbon emissions by returning to meat-free Fridays: study
2 Nov 2022
In 2011, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales called on congregations to return to foregoing meat on Fridays. Only around a quarter of Catholics changed their dietary habits—yet this has still saved over 55,000 tons of carbon a year, according to a new study led by the University of Cambridge.
Researchers say that in terms of CO2 emissions, this is equivalent to 82,000 fewer people taking a return trip from London to New York over the course of a year. The current Catholic leader, Pope Francis, has called for "radical" responses to climate change. The researchers argue that if the Pope reinstated meatless Fridays across the global church, it could mitigate millions of tons of greenhouse gases annually.
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