Regis Philbin
Dec 11th, 2006, 12:25 AM
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2062484.ece
Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 10 December 2006
Meet the world's top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane, or even George Bush: it is the cow.
A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.
The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.
Burning fuel to produce fertiliser to grow feed, to produce meat and to transport it - and clearing vegetation for grazing - produces 9 per cent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas. And their wind and manure emit more than one third of emissions of another, methane, which warms the world 20 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Livestock also produces more than 100 other polluting gases, including more than two-thirds of the world's emissions of ammonia, one of the main causes of acid rain.
Ranching, the report adds, is "the major driver of deforestation" worldwide, and overgrazing is turning a fifth of all pastures and ranges into desert. Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 litres of water to produce one litre of milk.
Wastes from feedlots and fertilisers used to grow their feed overnourish water, causing weeds to choke all other life. And the pesticides, antibiotics and hormones used to treat them get into drinking water and endanger human health.
Now, this can go in several directions. Who is the world's #1 ranching and livestock producing country? Why, it's the evil United States, of course. Those fat Americans eat HUGE quantities of beef every day. The U.N. will use this to demand that Americans cut back on their appetite for meat so that we won't have to raise so much livestock that are ruining our climate with their...uh-hem..."emissions".
The liberal elite in America will use this to target ranchers in the Western U.S., afterall, most ranchers live in rural areas and aren't sophisticated and enlightened and, worst of all, they tend to vote Republican. *gasp!* They ruin our environment with their ranching practices and their cattle are "emitting" so much gas into the atmosphere that it's even more than Republican's driving SUVs emit. (Ranchers tend to drive pickup trucks too, and that's not a good thing.)
I can see it now, Dictator/Supreme Ruler/Speaker Pelosi will demand that all cattle in the U.S. undergo emission testing. Ranchers will have to change the diet of their cattle to cut back on emissions. Those cattle that fail emission testing will be required to wear special cattle "diapers" that trap emissions before they can reach the atmosphere.
This is like manna from heaven for the Animal Rights wackos who will use this as a way of eliminating all meat consumption and putting evil, Republican ranchers out of business. Whooooot!!!
Dictator/Speaker Pelosi will introduce a bill requiring all Americans to become vegetarians (except for beans, of course). Afterall, NYC banned trans-fats so the Dictator/Speaker can ban meat.
I guess a liberal's worst nightmare would be a large semi-truck loaded with flatulent cattle headed for the slaughterhouse to be turned into hamburgers that will be eaten by Republicans sitting in their idling SUVs at the the drive-thru window of a McDonald's that serves trans-fats... LOL :laugh:
Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 10 December 2006
Meet the world's top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane, or even George Bush: it is the cow.
A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.
The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.
Burning fuel to produce fertiliser to grow feed, to produce meat and to transport it - and clearing vegetation for grazing - produces 9 per cent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas. And their wind and manure emit more than one third of emissions of another, methane, which warms the world 20 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Livestock also produces more than 100 other polluting gases, including more than two-thirds of the world's emissions of ammonia, one of the main causes of acid rain.
Ranching, the report adds, is "the major driver of deforestation" worldwide, and overgrazing is turning a fifth of all pastures and ranges into desert. Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 litres of water to produce one litre of milk.
Wastes from feedlots and fertilisers used to grow their feed overnourish water, causing weeds to choke all other life. And the pesticides, antibiotics and hormones used to treat them get into drinking water and endanger human health.
Now, this can go in several directions. Who is the world's #1 ranching and livestock producing country? Why, it's the evil United States, of course. Those fat Americans eat HUGE quantities of beef every day. The U.N. will use this to demand that Americans cut back on their appetite for meat so that we won't have to raise so much livestock that are ruining our climate with their...uh-hem..."emissions".
The liberal elite in America will use this to target ranchers in the Western U.S., afterall, most ranchers live in rural areas and aren't sophisticated and enlightened and, worst of all, they tend to vote Republican. *gasp!* They ruin our environment with their ranching practices and their cattle are "emitting" so much gas into the atmosphere that it's even more than Republican's driving SUVs emit. (Ranchers tend to drive pickup trucks too, and that's not a good thing.)
I can see it now, Dictator/Supreme Ruler/Speaker Pelosi will demand that all cattle in the U.S. undergo emission testing. Ranchers will have to change the diet of their cattle to cut back on emissions. Those cattle that fail emission testing will be required to wear special cattle "diapers" that trap emissions before they can reach the atmosphere.
This is like manna from heaven for the Animal Rights wackos who will use this as a way of eliminating all meat consumption and putting evil, Republican ranchers out of business. Whooooot!!!
Dictator/Speaker Pelosi will introduce a bill requiring all Americans to become vegetarians (except for beans, of course). Afterall, NYC banned trans-fats so the Dictator/Speaker can ban meat.
I guess a liberal's worst nightmare would be a large semi-truck loaded with flatulent cattle headed for the slaughterhouse to be turned into hamburgers that will be eaten by Republicans sitting in their idling SUVs at the the drive-thru window of a McDonald's that serves trans-fats... LOL :laugh: