Just how bad is your dog for the environment?

LA Times ^ | 11/01/14 | Judith Lewis Mernit

[Libloather]

**SNIP**

FOR THE RECORD:

A Nov. 2 op-ed about dogs and the environment said that methane was 30% more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Recent research suggests that the effect of methane on climate change is at least 30 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

What, were you staring at your iPhone, dragging the dog behind? Daydreaming? Or are you with Sydney, Jason Segel's character in "I Love You, Man," thinking that dog doo actually benefits the environment. ("It's got tons of nutrients.")

That's true, in a way. Dog poop does contain nutrients — the kind that, when washed down storm drains into streams and the ocean, fuel toxic algae blooms that suck up oxygen and turn coastal habitats into dead zones. Stephan Budiansky, in his book, "The Truth About Dogs," claims that dogs serve as reservoirs for 65 diseases that can be transmitted to humans. A dog, per pound of body weight, produces 10 times the fecal coliform of a cow.

[SargeK]

And completely missing the fact that an iPhone (and the infrastructure behind it) uses as much electricity as a toaster...

[aomagrat]

I don’t know about my dog’s poop being bad for the environment, but his SBD’s can peel the paint off walls.

[molson209]

Well when the snow melts ,our backyard looks like a mine field ,LOL

[Roos_Girl]

What I find interesting is that a lot of my friends are “dog people”, as in they are diligent hobby breeders, agility, hunt tests, obedience, etc with their dogs. A few of those people are die hard democrats, and I mostly like them anyway, though try to avoid political discussions. But, I always wonder how they feel about voting the same way the HSUS, PETA, etc nuts do.

[RegulatorCountry]

Why not feed Democrats to dogs to improve the environment?

If restricted to vegan Democrats, such a move would be a net positive in the fart department.

[dragnet2]

I call for an environmental tax to be levied on all dog owners.

A dogs carbon footprint is huge. However dog owners should be able to forgo the E-tax on their dogs with small 5 percent increase in their property taxes. Those renters who are on Social Security, the Dog E-tax will be taken directly out of the generous SS checks they receive.

[boop]

Of COURSE she hates dogs!

They chase after the 30 cats living in her house that she considers her "children".

[Chgogal]

Dear Judy,

I was shocked, shocked to learn how ungreen my cute little Jack Russell is. He weighs just 25 lbs. Can you imagine how ungreen your cute HUGE Polar Bears are? The average Polar Bear weighs about 570 lbs. You can imagine the amount of methane gas that meat eating bear emits. Wish you the very best.

XOXOXO

Chgogal

[USNBandit]

My dog has a huge methane footprint. I don’t know what the wife has been feeding him, but he has been clearing rooms for a couple months now.

[minnesota_bound]

This study was done by a cat.

[logi_cal869]

What I’m thinking about Judith Lewis Mernit is bad for the environment right....about...

...now.

[ThomasThomas]

A dog, per pound of body weight, produces 10 times the fecal coliform of a cow.

Fecal Coliform.

This sounds like a bunch of FC to me.

Does she think we should have pet cows instead of dogs?

What are 10 top reasons to have a pet cow instead of a dog!

10 A dog, per pound of body weight, produces 10 times the fecal coliform of a cow.
9 A Cow will not lay in your favorite chair.
8 ...

But...

You can’t train a cow to herd dogs.
I must go with the dogs.

Even Cowboys have pet dogs.

[Revel]

She wants to kill all the wolves.

[Mastador1]

Sounds like she’s a Dhimmi.

Nah, Dhimmi, Jews and Christians living under early Muslim rule were considered dhimmis, a status that was later also extended to other non-Muslims like Hindus.

She's a greediot! If you meant to say demonrat, I disagree, I know to many at the dog park and our love of dogs is about all we agree on. This fool is a green idiot gaia worshipper who will sacrifice anything to he her earth loed.

[BlueDragon]

Why not feed Democrats to dogs to improve the environment?

...and then...sell the dogs to the Asians?

After they're nice and plumped up.

Just kidding.

But I wouldn't have any dogs myself, if not for a sister of mine and her husband both passing away within a year of one another.

Of the three dogs they had at the time, one eventually went to a nephew, one poor little dog had to be put to sleep (as the saying goes) a couple of months ago, leaving one little long legged chihuahua-terrier mix still around.

She's a brave little dog. Likes to bark at squirrels and cats. Tries to howl like a big dog. Sometimes she sounds like she's trying to talk.

I just got back from a trip to the store for a few items -- and on a whim bought the little bitch some dog treats.

More dog-doo?

Now, fortified with vitamins!

[MeshugeMikey]

she does have a “cat lady” look about her

[panaxanax]

Woodland Vole?

My boy (Aussie/Border Collie) caught one a couple of weeks ago during a hike through our woods. Mrs. panax freaked out because she thought he was going to eat it. He proudly pranced around showing it off and now he’s obsessed with hunting them.

[BradyLS]

That's true, in a way. Dog poop does contain nutrients — the kind that, when washed down storm drains into streams and the ocean, fuel toxic algae blooms that suck up oxygen and turn coastal habitats into dead zones.

Yep. Lots of environment-loving Dems in my neighborhood love to take their 50lb. pooping machines to the park that has a little pond. It was looking pretty nasty with algae in June. Lots of hurumphing but nothing done.

[Smokin' Joe]

The attack on dogs likely has Islamic roots.

[Trillian]

Let’s ask them how bad liberals are for cities.