Lots of the things we use everyday have a carbon footprint that one would not assume. I found a website that references hard cheese, another that said a 5 mile ride on a subway and buying a pint of milk have the same carbon footprint. The same sight sited a fact that drinking a liter of milk a day has a footprint of 527 kg. The site referenced the book, How bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything as well. 

Use by dates do not necessarily mean you will get sick from eating a product, but more that the product will go down much faster after the date and that safety may be lessened. Best by refers to the quality, that a product should be consumed by that date to ensure the best quality. Sell by, is aimed at retailers, and refers to when a product should come off the shelf. Sell by dates do not necessarily a product is expired. Furthermore, a product can have a third of its lifespan left after the Sell by date. 

I use single use straws and plastic bags fairly regularly, and can and should replace them with reusable ones.

I believe people eat more meat in North America because of its availability and the cultural significance of meat in America. This shows that Americans often value there way of life more than the environment.