Prologue | One Meal Today Changes Our Future

Part 1.
A future that threatens survival is approaching.

A catastrophe that has already become part of everyday life
The climate crisis ultimately leads to a food crisis.
The serious impact of a 0.1 degree difference on our body
Another colony built on climate inequality
One Step Further: Himalayan Ice Caps and Climate Refugees

Part 2.
Saving the Earth with Food

Changing your diet comes before buying an electric car.
Among greenhouse gases, there are priorities that must be addressed.
Super bacteria born from livestock farming
Why You Shouldn't Eat Marine Life
One Step Further: Is Opposing Palm Oil Eco-Friendly?

Part 3.
Nutrition to Fight Human Extinction

Protein obsession spells disaster
Low-carb diets that harm your health
Growth obsession is destroying children's health and the planet.
Insulin resistance, the root cause of all modern chronic diseases
One Step Further: Dementia, a Health Disaster Threatening the Future

Part 4.
Climate Gastronomy: Sustainable Recipes for Everyone

Meals that save me and the planet
Climate gastronomy is now the new normal.
International Solidarity for Zero Carbon Emissions
Imagination for K-Natural Plant-Based Diet
Practicing a rich, diverse, and beneficial natural plant-based diet
One step further_ 'Vegetarian-based' movement

Epilogue | From Climate Villain to Climate Gastronomy Leader

supplement
Seasonal Food Guide
High-nutrient, natural plant-based diet
Books recommended for climate gourmets

References

Changing your diet comes before electric vehicles.
The Hidden Card to Overcome the Climate Crisis: Climate Gastronomy

Global warming, heavy rains and floods, rising sea levels, large-scale forest fires, food crisis…
Disasters caused by climate change have long since become a daily occurrence.
But more pressing threats remain.
The Seoul office of the international environmental organization Greenpeace predicted that by 2030, more than 5% of South Korea's land area will be submerged due to rising sea levels and the effects of typhoons.
If global warming continues at its current level without a clear solution, it will become a reality.
There are less than 10 years left now.

Energy transition, including limiting fossil fuel use and adopting renewable energy, is being discussed as the most important solution to the climate crisis, but there's one thing we're missing.
The fact is that 'dietary change' can be of enormous help in overcoming the climate crisis.
Many people only think of fossil fuels when they think of greenhouse gases, but the production of the foods we enjoy also emits a huge amount of greenhouse gases.
17.4% of all greenhouse gases are emitted from the consumption of animal products.
Considering that all modes of transportation, including roads, airplanes, ships, and railways, account for 16.2% of total greenhouse gases, we need to make an effort to change our diets even more than we do to convert our vehicles to electric ones.
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Institute (PBL) has announced that if the world switched to a diet with less meat, projected climate costs could be reduced by up to 80% by 2050.

This book presents a different perspective from previous books on the climate crisis.
Rather than focusing on how to 'reduce' atmospheric carbon, we are focusing on how to 'increase absorption'.
While carbon emission reduction activities that have been carried out so far take 60 to 70 years to see the effects, carbon absorption activities have direct effects.
The method is also simple.
All we have to do is 'leave' them as they are, without eating them, so that the forests on land and the phytoplankton in the ocean can absorb more carbon dioxide and various life forms can store more of it.
This is why we need to shift our diet to being as plant-based as possible.
This book logically and in detail explains how climate gastronomy is an effective solution in the era of climate crisis, and aims to widely introduce readers to the concept of climate gastronomy, a sustainable recipe that lowers the Earth's temperature.


My health and the health of the planet are connected.
The most perfect way to protect the Earth, animals, and myself

Many climate scientists and activists, while noting that animal-based food consumption significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, almost assume that agricultural land will continue to grow.
This is because it assumes that consumption of animal products is essential for humans.
However, the author of this book, Lee Ui-cheol, a practicing physician, asserts that the health problems threatening humanity today are actually caused by the myth of modern people's excessive protein intake.
This is because we know that the most effective and easiest way to solve various chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and allergies is to not eat animal protein.
So this book boldly suggests that not eating animal products is the best choice not only for reducing greenhouse gases, but also for human health.

You can get enough protein from plant foods alone, even without eating meat.
The 'Climate Gourmet Zone' includes starchy foods, beans, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, seaweed, and fruits.
Not only are there so many different types of food that you can eat deliciously and colorfully, but you can also get enough protein for your body with just one serving per day.
One incident that demonstrates the importance of plant-based protein is as follows:
During World War I, Germany pursued a meat-centric policy, believing that "you need to eat a lot of meat to be productive," while Denmark believed that consuming less protein was actually helpful for maintaining optimal health.
So, the number of pigs and cattle was drastically reduced, and barley and grains that were to be used as livestock feed were made available for human consumption.
The results were surprising.


Although Germany's per capita food production was greater than Denmark's, Germany suffered a food crisis that lasted until the end of the war in 1918, with an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 civilians dying from starvation and disease.
In contrast, Denmark, despite the food crisis of 1917-1918, saw its mortality rate drop by 34% compared to the average of the previous 17 years, and diabetes disappeared entirely.
The experiences of Germany and Denmark during World War I taught us that if we fail to quickly and effectively abandon our obsession with animal protein during a food crisis, tens or even millions of people could die from starvation.
With the climate crisis threatening a food crisis, this scenario could become a reality.
The book provides a detailed introduction to the "seasonal food guide" and "nutrient-rich natural plant-based diet" that readers can enjoy each season to help them approach climate cuisine in a richer and healthier way.


If we ate like Koreans do now, we would need 2.3 Earths.
From climate villain to climate gastronomy leader

In 2020, the Norwegian non-profit organization EAT and the British medical journal The Lancet published a report outlining the ecological footprint of food consumption in the 20 major economies, the G20 countries.
According to the report, Koreans are consuming a diet equivalent to that of 2.3 Earths.
In other words, if we continue to eat like this, the Earth will not be able to sustain us.
What's surprising is that in 1978, Korea's ecological footprint was equivalent to that of one Earth.
At that time, the daily calorie intake of Koreans was 3,000 calories, similar to that of the early 2000s.
However, the reason why the ecological footprint was small was because 70-80% of calories were consumed from grains and starch foods, and only 5-6% of calories were consumed from animal foods, so most of the calories were consumed from plant foods.
The number of calories Koreans currently consume from animal products has increased by nearly four times compared to the past, reaching 19%.


Korea's traditional food culture used little animal products, cooking oil, or sugar, and furthermore, it did not have the tradition of using dairy products that is so deeply rooted in Western society.
Therefore, if we can revive the traditions of the not-so-distant past, a fun, delicious, and healthy climate-friendly diet can easily become established as a new culture.
Moreover, with various aspects of Korean culture attracting attention from people around the world, if Korean food is recognized as a key means of responding to the health and climate crises, Korea will be able to shed its reputation as a climate villain and stand tall as a leader in climate gastronomy.
This book introduces readers to the incredible things that happen when we become "climate gourmets," step by step, and guides readers into the world of climate gastronomy, where life becomes more vibrant and our taste buds become richer.
We should all become climate gourmets.