The article suggests that eating a plant-based meal a week can reduce your annual carbon footprint by as much as not driving your car for a month. Vegetarian diets or plant-born diets are less resource intensive than animal-based diets, according to Gidon Eshel, research professor of environmental physics at Bard College. The production of meat for human and animal consumption is responsible for 57% of global food production emissions, while the global dairy sector contributes to 4% of this. The livestock industry is one of the world's highest emitting sectors, responsible for between 12% and 19% of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. A vegetarian meal should include a balanced plate of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and plant-derived proteins like lentils, tofu, or beans.