Most of the pure climate folks don’t have faith that bicycling scales enough, and don’t rate cobenefits very highly, it’s depressing
September 5, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Most of the pure climate folks don’t have faith that bicycling scales enough, and don’t rate cobenefits very highly, it’s depressing
New study confirms some of my 'mantras': shifts to plant-based diets, rewidling/reforesting, active transport, travel with no/less flying & ICE driving all bring human & planetary health cobenefits & are far more impactful for climate mitigation than CCS & nuclear ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/...
EHP Publishing
ehp.niehs.nih.gov
December 17, 2024 at 12:47 PM
New study confirms some of my 'mantras': shifts to plant-based diets, rewidling/reforesting, active transport, travel with no/less flying & ICE driving all bring human & planetary health cobenefits & are far more impactful for climate mitigation than CCS & nuclear ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/...
Some of the cobenefits of replacing meat with alt-meat products:
October 23, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Some of the cobenefits of replacing meat with alt-meat products:
On top of that you can also reduce your cancer risk and well-being as cobenefits.
[even the least sustainable vegan diet was more environmentally-friendly than the most #sustainable meat eater's diet. In other words, accounting for origin & methods of food production does not obscure the differences in the environmental impacts between groups]
www.sciencealert.com/oxford-scien...
www.sciencealert.com/oxford-scien...
Oxford Scientists Confirm Vegan Diet Is Massively Better For Planet
We know that meat has a substantial impact on the planet, and that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable.
www.sciencealert.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:53 AM
On top of that you can also reduce your cancer risk and well-being as cobenefits.
A nice comparison of apples and pears. Solar energy is replacing fossils for electricity generation (i.e. decarbonization, which is wonderful). But for C neutrality we also need carbon dioxide removal (CDR), preferentially by methods with cobenefits, such as afforestation, soil C increase, biochar..
June 25, 2026 at 6:36 PM
A nice comparison of apples and pears. Solar energy is replacing fossils for electricity generation (i.e. decarbonization, which is wonderful). But for C neutrality we also need carbon dioxide removal (CDR), preferentially by methods with cobenefits, such as afforestation, soil C increase, biochar..
The economic case for methane action is clear.
- Global methane abatement yields large net global economic benefits.
- The benefit-cost ratio of methane action is at least 3—rising to more than 6 when health cobenefits are included.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Global methane abatement yields large net global economic benefits.
- The benefit-cost ratio of methane action is at least 3—rising to more than 6 when health cobenefits are included.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
October 31, 2025 at 9:39 AM
The economic case for methane action is clear.
- Global methane abatement yields large net global economic benefits.
- The benefit-cost ratio of methane action is at least 3—rising to more than 6 when health cobenefits are included.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Global methane abatement yields large net global economic benefits.
- The benefit-cost ratio of methane action is at least 3—rising to more than 6 when health cobenefits are included.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our new issue is out!
We have some exciting content this month: articles on air quality & mortality, on a green anesthesia initiative, reviews on #gutmicrobiome, the public health cobenefits of net zero emission strategies and more.
Read #openaccess
www.thelancet.com/issue/S2542-...
We have some exciting content this month: articles on air quality & mortality, on a green anesthesia initiative, reviews on #gutmicrobiome, the public health cobenefits of net zero emission strategies and more.
Read #openaccess
www.thelancet.com/issue/S2542-...
February 27, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Our new issue is out!
We have some exciting content this month: articles on air quality & mortality, on a green anesthesia initiative, reviews on #gutmicrobiome, the public health cobenefits of net zero emission strategies and more.
Read #openaccess
www.thelancet.com/issue/S2542-...
We have some exciting content this month: articles on air quality & mortality, on a green anesthesia initiative, reviews on #gutmicrobiome, the public health cobenefits of net zero emission strategies and more.
Read #openaccess
www.thelancet.com/issue/S2542-...
I focus a lot on this action 👇since
1️⃣We can shift our diet without needing government action
2️⃣It helps solve many other problems, such as air & water pollution, biodiversity losses, water scarcity, risks of pandemics, antibiotic resistance
3️⃣It brings health & financial cobenefits
4️⃣It avoids cruelty
1️⃣We can shift our diet without needing government action
2️⃣It helps solve many other problems, such as air & water pollution, biodiversity losses, water scarcity, risks of pandemics, antibiotic resistance
3️⃣It brings health & financial cobenefits
4️⃣It avoids cruelty
To help eliminate the 25% of GHG emissions linked to food, farming & deforestation, we call on policymakers to...shift public money from the livestock sector to plant-based proteins. This will also help limit the risk of tipping points in the biosphere... & can liberate land for regenerating nature.
World leaders must take “immediate, unprecedented action” to prevent devastating climate tipping points, experts say
#climatecrisis
news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-e...
#climatecrisis
news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-e...
July 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I focus a lot on this action 👇since
1️⃣We can shift our diet without needing government action
2️⃣It helps solve many other problems, such as air & water pollution, biodiversity losses, water scarcity, risks of pandemics, antibiotic resistance
3️⃣It brings health & financial cobenefits
4️⃣It avoids cruelty
1️⃣We can shift our diet without needing government action
2️⃣It helps solve many other problems, such as air & water pollution, biodiversity losses, water scarcity, risks of pandemics, antibiotic resistance
3️⃣It brings health & financial cobenefits
4️⃣It avoids cruelty
Great to see new reports/studies flagging cobenefits of nature restoration such as peace (below) & "a sense of identity or well-being + spiritual experiences" phys.org/news/2025-01..., but these are still very anthropocentric. It needs doing also for the sake of our wider kin, the more-than-humans!
January 26, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Great to see new reports/studies flagging cobenefits of nature restoration such as peace (below) & "a sense of identity or well-being + spiritual experiences" phys.org/news/2025-01..., but these are still very anthropocentric. It needs doing also for the sake of our wider kin, the more-than-humans!
If the government was really serious about addressing energy insecurity it should do what Vienna is doing, and cut fossil fuel dependence as quickly as possible. This would bring many cobenefits (including climate) - unlike LNG.
bsky.app/profile/janr...
bsky.app/profile/janr...
“It’s a moonshot.”
Vienna has a $21 billion plan to end its dependence on imported fossil gas with heat pumps, boreholes and energy efficiency.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Vienna has a $21 billion plan to end its dependence on imported fossil gas with heat pumps, boreholes and energy efficiency.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Vienna Embraces Heat Pumps to Ditch Russian Gas
The Austrian capital has a $21 billion plan to end its dependence on imported natural gas with heat pumps, boreholes and energy efficiency.
www.bloomberg.com
February 16, 2025 at 1:42 PM
If the government was really serious about addressing energy insecurity it should do what Vienna is doing, and cut fossil fuel dependence as quickly as possible. This would bring many cobenefits (including climate) - unlike LNG.
bsky.app/profile/janr...
bsky.app/profile/janr...
"Crops that showed increased suitability under climate change came from a broad range of crop types, incl. many legumes (e.g. chickpea, cow pea, soy, broad bean). Legumes are important as protein sources, allowing dietary shifts away from livestock & reducing reliance on fertilisers." ➡️cobenefits!
A new study shows that climate change will make the UK suitable for new produce such as oranges and chickpeas whilst some existing key crops are likely to become harder to grow in the current agricultural heartlands.
www.ceh.ac.uk/press/scient...
#climatechange #agriculture #foodproduction
www.ceh.ac.uk/press/scient...
#climatechange #agriculture #foodproduction
Scientists predict what will be top of the crops by 2080 due to climate change
A new study led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) predicts that future warmer temperatures in this country would be suitable for a variety of produce such as oranges, chickpeas and okra...
www.ceh.ac.uk
January 30, 2025 at 9:59 AM
"Crops that showed increased suitability under climate change came from a broad range of crop types, incl. many legumes (e.g. chickpea, cow pea, soy, broad bean). Legumes are important as protein sources, allowing dietary shifts away from livestock & reducing reliance on fertilisers." ➡️cobenefits!
We have known this for a long time and it is pretty obvious: whole food plant-based (or plant-rich) diets, with minimally processed legumes as key proteins, are best for our health, our purse, the climate and nature. If farmers are supported in shifting production, there are so many cobenefits!
"Healthy & sustainable diets...can be just & affordable everywhere, including in low-income settings...This is particularly the case when choosing minimally processed meat/milk alternatives such as peas & beans, which conveniently also maximize the health & environmental benefits of dietary change."
What will it take? Voices on just and feasible food systems
EAT-Lancet 2.0 makes the case that healthy and sustainable food systems must also
be just. This Voices asks: what would it take to move from global targets to transformation
pathways that are regional...
www.cell.com
August 26, 2026 at 11:51 AM
We have known this for a long time and it is pretty obvious: whole food plant-based (or plant-rich) diets, with minimally processed legumes as key proteins, are best for our health, our purse, the climate and nature. If farmers are supported in shifting production, there are so many cobenefits!
In this study, a healthy vegan diet has the second largest emissions reduction from a range of interventions for high-emissions households, and can potentially apply to a wider population, with additional cobenefits.
May 20, 2025 at 3:56 PM
In this study, a healthy vegan diet has the second largest emissions reduction from a range of interventions for high-emissions households, and can potentially apply to a wider population, with additional cobenefits.
Beans are good, though!
Another good use of £22bn would be to promote shifts to plant-rich diets, helping livestock farmers transition, freeing land for nature/carbon capture and reducing methane and carbon dioxide, thus also bringing public health cobenefits and reducing air & water pollution!
Another good use of £22bn would be to promote shifts to plant-rich diets, helping livestock farmers transition, freeing land for nature/carbon capture and reducing methane and carbon dioxide, thus also bringing public health cobenefits and reducing air & water pollution!
October 6, 2024 at 9:05 AM
Beans are good, though!
Another good use of £22bn would be to promote shifts to plant-rich diets, helping livestock farmers transition, freeing land for nature/carbon capture and reducing methane and carbon dioxide, thus also bringing public health cobenefits and reducing air & water pollution!
Another good use of £22bn would be to promote shifts to plant-rich diets, helping livestock farmers transition, freeing land for nature/carbon capture and reducing methane and carbon dioxide, thus also bringing public health cobenefits and reducing air & water pollution!
Studies show that agrivoltaics work. Every location is different, and different configurations are needed, but adding solar to agricultural land doesn't impact yield (meaningfully) and offers cobenefits such as erosion, water usage, and shade for livestock. Plus farmers diversify their income.
January 25, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Studies show that agrivoltaics work. Every location is different, and different configurations are needed, but adding solar to agricultural land doesn't impact yield (meaningfully) and offers cobenefits such as erosion, water usage, and shade for livestock. Plus farmers diversify their income.
I'd love scientists (perhaps from this pack bsky.app/starter-pack...) to analyse emissions & air pollution from cooking a typical plant-based diet vs an omnivore one. My hunch is that the former would require less cooking, with fewer emissions/less pollution than the latter, adding to cobenefits.
December 9, 2024 at 1:31 PM
I'd love scientists (perhaps from this pack bsky.app/starter-pack...) to analyse emissions & air pollution from cooking a typical plant-based diet vs an omnivore one. My hunch is that the former would require less cooking, with fewer emissions/less pollution than the latter, adding to cobenefits.
I'd add that we are going to have a "selling a counterfactual" problem. Even if we succeed at net zero 2050, things are going to get worse for at least 25 more years. Unless the cobenefits are huge, the public may ask "what the hell are we doing all this for?"
March 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
I'd add that we are going to have a "selling a counterfactual" problem. Even if we succeed at net zero 2050, things are going to get worse for at least 25 more years. Unless the cobenefits are huge, the public may ask "what the hell are we doing all this for?"
Neue 🎙️-Episode zur #Klimakommunikation: @carlareemtsma.bsky.social (Sprecherin @fridaysforfuture.bsky.social) und Dr. Vita Zimmermann (Senior Researcherin am @wuppertalinstitut.bsky.social) sprechen über #Cobenefits, #Moralisierung & die verhärtete #Klimadebatte.
#Zukunftswissen #Podcast
#Zukunftswissen #Podcast
May 19, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Neue 🎙️-Episode zur #Klimakommunikation: @carlareemtsma.bsky.social (Sprecherin @fridaysforfuture.bsky.social) und Dr. Vita Zimmermann (Senior Researcherin am @wuppertalinstitut.bsky.social) sprechen über #Cobenefits, #Moralisierung & die verhärtete #Klimadebatte.
#Zukunftswissen #Podcast
#Zukunftswissen #Podcast
There's much talk about air con use in urban areas, already high & projected to increase much as temperatures go up. It's crucial to promote passsive cooling methods: adding trees is an obvious one, with climate, health & biodiversity cobenefits. Food resilience too, if we plant fruit & nut trees!
Increasing urban vegetation by 30% could have prevented 30% of all heat-related deaths, potentially saving up to ~1.1 million lives globally from 2000 to 2019, according to a study of over 11,000 urban areas.
Any lessons for the future…
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Any lessons for the future…
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Estimating the urban heat-related mortality burden due to greenness: a global modelling study
This modelling study suggests that increased greenness could substantially reduce
the heat-related mortality burden. Preserving and expanding greenness might be potential
strategies to lower ambient t...
www.thelancet.com
May 3, 2025 at 8:29 AM
There's much talk about air con use in urban areas, already high & projected to increase much as temperatures go up. It's crucial to promote passsive cooling methods: adding trees is an obvious one, with climate, health & biodiversity cobenefits. Food resilience too, if we plant fruit & nut trees!
Yeah, if we want those cobenefits, it is going to require some cash input, either through property owner coercion, incentives, or straight up public funding.
May 5, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Yeah, if we want those cobenefits, it is going to require some cash input, either through property owner coercion, incentives, or straight up public funding.
An extremely well told summary of the impacts of food systems and the actions required to reduce them, in particular shifts to/towards plant-based diets in high income countries, with all the cobenefits these bring:
Thank you prof @paulbehrens.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYX...
Thank you prof @paulbehrens.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYX...
🌍 World Food Day 2024: Transforming Food Systems with Professor Paul Behrens 🌱
YouTube video by Oxford Martin School
www.youtube.com
October 17, 2024 at 6:55 PM
An extremely well told summary of the impacts of food systems and the actions required to reduce them, in particular shifts to/towards plant-based diets in high income countries, with all the cobenefits these bring:
Thank you prof @paulbehrens.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYX...
Thank you prof @paulbehrens.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYX...
But also 2 key points: 1) It's pretty much impossible for many people to go carless at the moment, whereas everyone in the Global North can potentially go vegan at the next meal and thereafter, likely saving money and improving their health by so doing. 2) Diet shifts bring multiple cobenefits
August 27, 2025 at 8:04 AM
But also 2 key points: 1) It's pretty much impossible for many people to go carless at the moment, whereas everyone in the Global North can potentially go vegan at the next meal and thereafter, likely saving money and improving their health by so doing. 2) Diet shifts bring multiple cobenefits
Conclusie (opnieuw): Een (hoofdzakelijk) plantaardig voedselsysteem: minder ziekte en vroegtijdige sterfte, grote klimaat besparing door reductie van voedselgerelateerde CO₂- en methaan-emissies, positieve economische impact en voedselzekerheid. #planetaryhealthdiet www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change cobenefits of dietary change | PNAS
What we eat greatly influences our personal health and the environment we all share.
Recent analyses have highlighted the likely dual health and en...
www.pnas.org
August 27, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Conclusie (opnieuw): Een (hoofdzakelijk) plantaardig voedselsysteem: minder ziekte en vroegtijdige sterfte, grote klimaat besparing door reductie van voedselgerelateerde CO₂- en methaan-emissies, positieve economische impact en voedselzekerheid. #planetaryhealthdiet www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
I doubt we'll ever deploy ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) in the open ocean as a marine CO₂ removal (mCDR) intervention (it will be deployed from the coast). Still, it's good to know that CO₂-equilibrated OAE does not negatively impact phytoplankton and microzooplankton in oligotrophic waters. 🌊
Resilience of Phytoplankton and Microzooplankton Communities under Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement in the Oligotrophic Ocean
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is currently discussed as a potential negative emission technology to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide in seawater. Yet, its potential risks or cobenefits for ma...
pubs.acs.org
November 14, 2024 at 2:10 PM
I doubt we'll ever deploy ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) in the open ocean as a marine CO₂ removal (mCDR) intervention (it will be deployed from the coast). Still, it's good to know that CO₂-equilibrated OAE does not negatively impact phytoplankton and microzooplankton in oligotrophic waters. 🌊