MEAT AND THE PLANET:Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect

ncpa.org ^ | December 28, 2006

[InvisibleChurch]

As the human population continues to multiply -- and our biological footprint on the planet becomes larger -- so do all the things associated with us, including our livestock, says the New York Times.

For example, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:

At present, there are about 1.5 billion cattle and domestic buffalo and about 1.7 billion sheep and goats in the world. Global livestock grazing and feed production use 30 percent of the land surface of the planet. Livestock -- which consume more food than they yield -- also compete directly with humans for water. But what is even more striking, and alarming, are their effects on the environment:

Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect, more than transportation's contribution. The culprits are methane -- the natural result of bovine digestion -- and the nitrogen emitted by manure. Deforestation adds to the effect; the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive terrain, rain forests especially, than anything else. There are no easy trade-offs when it comes to global warming -- such as cutting back on cattle to make room for cars, says the Times. The human passion for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon. Our health and the health of the planet depend on pushing livestock production in more sustainable directions.

Source: Editorial, "Meat and the Planet," New York Times, December 27, 2006.

For text:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/opinion/27wed4.html

For full report:

http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.pdf

For more on Environment Issues:

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=31

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

The human passion for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon. Our health and the health of the planet depend on pushing livestock production in more sustainable directions.

.eat TOFU or we are doomed.

[Old Professer]

And CO2; especially after they've fallen and begun to decompose.

[TigersEye]

At present, there are about 1.5 billion cattle and domestic buffalo and about 1.7 billion sheep and goats in the world.

The 2002 census of cattle and calves in the U.S. was 95,497,994. That isn't much higher than the estimated number of buffalo (60-80 million) that inhabited the plains of North America before the evil white man wiped them out. Buffalo are generally bigger than cattle, eat more and, naturally, fart more. So there is no significant net difference in ruminant produced methane. I expect the same could be said for Africa where fantastically large herds of animals roamed a century or two ago. If anything today's domestic livestock are a good deal fewer in number than the wild herds of old.

[Young Werther]

It's all those Mustangs, Pintos along with the Tauruii, not to menation the bears who cr@p in the woods and those devilish moose turds!

[Old Professer]

The methane comes mainly from the burps; farts are more likely to be hydrogen sulfide.

[Beowulf]

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

Those moose turds are especially evil.

[TigersEye]

And how much carbon dioxide is generated by the planets plant life.

Plants consume CO2 and give off O2. Animals consume O2 and give off CO2.

The real question is how much CO2 is created in the production of carbonated soft drinks and why haven't the Enviro Wackos marched on the headquarters of Coca Cola and Pepsi corps?

[Mr. Lucky]

Does it ever scare you, Professor, that you know that?

[Old Professer]

No more than knowing my aglet from my anklet.

[bert]

I ran the numbers and the besI could come up with was 8%.

I think they failed to include an allowance for herd animal decline on the North American plains and African plains. This decline reduces the number by 8.3%.

It also appears that they miscalculated the effect of kelp flowers and krill. Taken together thay make up the difference.

All in all, I think they did pretty shoddy work.

[Young Werther]

While stationed in Alaska I found some jewelry in the BX that was fashioned from Moose Turds! Goggle moose turds and you'll find my story from an earlier FreeRepublic post!

[traditional1]

[Beckwith]

Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect

And politicians are responsible for the rest.

[Mr. Lucky]

You really have an anklet?

[TigersEye]

The methane comes mainly from the burps; farts are more likely to be hydrogen sulfide.

Errr, is hydrogen sulfide flammable? Because if it isn't I can Google up some strange pics to argue the point with you. ;^)

[Atlas Sneezed]

Maybe we should start by killing off all the animals that don't help to sustain human life. (e.g. pandas, koalas, manatees, squirrels and other wildlife.)

It's hard to imagine that domestiaced animals are farting more than wild ones.

[Mr. Lucky]

Cattle are ruminants and, as such, produce methane in their digestive process. The methane is expelled as a burp, not a fart. While this simple fact may not be known to the New York Times, it's hardly a secret. Google on something to the effect of "cow burps".

[Old Professer]

Very.

BTW, the smell gives it away, rotten eggs, methane is pretty much odorless.

The natural gas you have in your house averages about 80-85% methane in most of the country and the gas company adds an odorant to allow a leak to be readily detected.

[sgtbono2002]

As long as they arent fried in trans-fat.