Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

When I think about pollution, images of cars, planes, and factories spewing black smoke into the air immediately spring to mind. What doesn’t usually come to mind is the jug of milk in my fridge. But around a quarter of global greenhouse gases–or climate change causing gases–are emitted by the agricultural industry. And greenhouse gas emissions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the environmental impacts of agriculture; agriculture also contributes to deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and an increasing threat of antibiotic resistance.

You may be thinking, “Well, isn’t that lovely. The most basic part of my existence–eating–condemns me to a life of environmental degradation.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many choices you can make to eat more sustainably. And what’s even better, making these sustainable choices will benefit your health as well. Today I’ll focus on just two important sustainable dietary choices you can make: