In another display of pitch-perfect priorities, the U.N. has released its findings on cow flatulence. There's quite a lot of it.
The 400-page study, $27 million of which probably went to Saddam Hussein for old times' sake, discovered that the planet's livestock, including 1.5 billion cattle, produce 18 percent of greenhouse gases.
Apparently the beasts of the field do nothing but wander around all day asking their brethren to "pull my hoof."
Every time a cow feels a small sense of relief, a polar bear goes through the ice.
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/lileks121406.html
Not surprising since livestock outnumbers humans 5 to 1 on this planet. Nearly 12 billion animals are slaughtered annually in the US. Reducing the meat production by only 10% would free enough grain to feed 60,000,000 people.
500,000 pigs produce more fecal matter than 1.5 million inhabitants of Manhattan. 100,000,000 pigs are slaughtered each year in the US.
US farmed animals produce 68,000 pounds of manure per second. 5 tons for every US person, 130 times as much fecal matter as the entire planet.. Factory farms produce 1.4 billion tons of manure, 20 tons annually for every household.
Animal waste is the chief source of toxic microbes in US coastal waters. US livestock uses 80% of US water sources. Confinement farming contributes to 70% of US river pollution and 49% of lake pollution.
Agribusiness keeps animals alive with antibiotics and vaccines. Factory farms use chemical s and hormones and steroids to make animals grow faster and bigger. – this is either passed on to the rivers and lakes or into the person that consumes.