Eating less popular parts of animals can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, study shows

Meatless Monday might not be your only way to save the planet.

Livestock industries create 14.5 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, one of the major driving factors for continuing climate change, so environmental advocates have long suggested cutting down on the amount of meat you eat as a way to mitigate the effects of climate change. But a new study shows that you might not have to give up on meat at all, Carbon Brief reported. Instead, you could try changing the type of meat you consume.

While meat products are popular among people worldwide, certain parts of livestock animals are often passed over. The new study, published on Wednesday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, shows that choosing those less popular parts of the animals, known as offal, can still help cut down on your carbon footprint.

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The study took a look at the implications of various diet changes in Germany's population, finding that while halving the amount of meat consumed could cut the country's livestock emissions by 32 percent, even just eating these meat by-products like liver and tripe could still cut emissions by 14 percent.

Germany is the European Union's largest meat producer, so it's reasonable to think this study's findings could apply to other countries, too. Pursuing a combination of eating less meat and reducing meat waste could potentially cut the livestock industry's emissions by 43 percent.

Read more about this study at Carbon Brief.