Michael's first suggestion of how to use your plate to cut your carbon footprint is to eat less meat. "I'm not talking about going vegetarian," he says. "But even one meatless day a week—a meatless Monday, which is what we do in our household."

Besides helping the environment, Michael says "meatless Mondays" have a bonus benefit. "To the extent we push meat a little bit to the side and move vegetables to the center of our diet, we're also going to be a lot healthier," he says.