No you don't need to be vegetarian to save the environment, but eating less meat will not only benefit the environment it'll benefit your health. Eating less meat can reduce your cholesterol level, we all know this. But here are some things you probably don't know. Methane gas released from captive livestock accounts for nearly a fifth of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Producing a pound of meat requires 30 times more water than producing a pound of wheat, and 200 times more than a pound of potatoes. Producing one calorie of animal protein uses 10 times as much fossil fuels as producing a calorie of vegetable protein. And you can save money as well. A pound of lentils has the same amount of protein as a pound of ground beef, but only costs $2 compared to $3.50.

THE FACTS

Methane gas released from captive livestock accounts for nearly a fifth of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.