Abstract
The equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) by Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets is quantitatively evaluated. The Buddhists in seven Mahayana-dominated countries or regions, i.e., China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, are studied. Assessments of the vegetarian population among these Mahayana-dominated countries or regions are performed. Correlation formulas based on data from a national survey are developed to quantify the GHGEs of various dietary groups by using the meat consumption as the only required input. To demonstrate its reliability, the prediction from the formulas developed is first compared with the results of a food production-and-consumption study using a different approach. Then, the formulas are used to assess the GHGE reduction due to Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets. The assessment indicates that Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets account for the equivalent GHGE reduction of 48.83 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is a huge amount and is equal to 11.3 or 8.9% of the GHGEs from France or the UK in 2012, respectively.
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Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the generous award by Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports under the National Sustainability Programme I (Project LO1202), which provides the Government Endowed Chair professorship to the author from 2012 to 2015 at the Brno University of Technology (BUT) to initiate the study presented in this article. Special thanks are to Professor Jenn-Yun Tein of Arizona State University, Director Jamin Ling of Kulicke and Soffa Ind., Professor Miroslav Raudensky, of BUT, and Professor Robert S. Byars of the University of Illinois for their helpful suggestions and assistances in preparing this article.
Funding
This study was funded by Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports under the National Sustainability Programme I (Project Grant No. LO1202).
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Tseng, A.A. Equivalent Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Mahayana Buddhists Practicing Vegetarian Diets. J Relig Health 59, 598–613 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0511-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0511-0