Cutting meat production and consumption by 30 percent would help to reduce carbon emissions¹ and improve health in the most meat-loving nations, scientists said on Wednesday.

科学家于本周三称，如果将最爱食肉国家的肉类生产和消费量减少30%，那么将有助于减少碳排放和改善人们健康。

A man takes a bite from a hamburger in Hollywood, California, October 3, 2007

Using prediction models（预测模型）, British and Australian researchers found that improving efficiency, increasing carbon capture and reducing fossil fuel（矿物燃料） dependence² in farming would not be enough to meet emissions targets.

But combining these steps with a 30 percent reduction（还原率） in livestock³（家畜，牲畜） production in major meat-producing nations and a similar cut in meat-eating, would lead to "substantial population health benefits" and cut emissions, they said.

The study found that in Britain, a 30 percent lower intake⁴ of animal-source saturated⁵ fat（饱和脂肪） by adults would reduce the number of premature⁶（早熟的） deaths from heart disease by some 17 percent -- equivalent to（等于，相当于） 18,000 premature deaths averted⁷（转开，避免） in one year.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, it could mean as many as 1,000 premature deaths averted in a year, they said.

According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from meat production and experts say rising demand for meat, particularly in countries with growing economies, could drive livestock production up by 85 percent from 2000 levels by 2030.

The scientists said global action was needed to maximize the benefits of cutting meat production and consumption, and that the environmental advantages "may apply only in those countries that currently have high production levels."

The study was published in The Lancet medical journal as part of a series in climate change and health ahead of the Copenhagen global climate summit scheduled next month.

In a second study, British scientists found that increased walking and cycling, and fewer cars, would have a much greater impact on health than low-emission vehicles in rich and middle-income countries.

Andrew Haines, director of the London School of Hygiene⁸ and Tropical Medicine and head of the research series, said delegates at Copenhagen needed "to understand the potential health impacts of their plans."