LogFAQs > #957543672

First glance suggests the average American drives 16 miles to and from work each weekday, and this is roughly equivalent to the carbon footprint of eating 32 pounds of chicken every day (1 average mile driven is approx equivalent to 1 pound of chicken).

I've already eliminated beef so comparing to chicken is most appropriate for me as it's the most carbon intensive thing I eat.

Say someone drives 16 miles to/from work each weekday, and eats a pound of chicken every day (a large 8oz breast at lunch and again at dinner). Looking at food plus transportation, that's 32 carbon units from driving and 7 units from chicken. Eliminating the daily commute would have five times the benefit of eliminating chicken, in terms of carbon footprint.

I am doing a lot of plant based dinners but thinking through this has made me feel less guilty about occasionally having meat. I'm living locally and walking to/from work, taking advantage of public transportation for medium distances, and lastly driving (husband and I share a single vehicle and our local driving is fully electric).

This comparison highlights the importance of residing somewhere you can live, work, shop, etc. with as little driving as possible.

Imagine the people who drive 30 miles each way in an inefficient SUV or truck!

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