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| Farm Animals More Damaging To Climate Than Cars |
| 2006-11-30 |
| The livestock industry contributes more to the greenhouse effect than cars, the UN food and farming agency said in a report Wednesday which also slammed this sector as a major source of soil and water degradation. "The livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent than transport," said the report by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Wait till they find out about the trees. Reagan tipped them off on that twenty years ago. By this yardstick, livestock now accounts for 18 percent of man-made carbon emissions, driven by the surge in demand for meat and dairy products, FAO said. Let them eat cake. Global meat production is set to more than double from 229 million tonnes in 2001 to 465 million tonnes in 2050, according to a UN projection. Milk output is projected to soar from 580 million to 1,043 million tonnes over the same period. "When emissions from land use and land use change are included, the livestock sector accounts for nine percent of CO2 deriving from human-related activities, but produces a much larger share of even more harmful greenhouse gases." It generates 65 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide, a gas that is 296 times more effective at trapping solar heat than carbon dioxide (CO2), the biggest greenhouse-gas by volume. Most of this pollution comes from manure. Does this mean the UN will stop issuing press releases? Livestock also accounts for 37 percent of all human-induced methane, which is 23 times as warming as CO2 and is largely produced by the digestive system of ruminants, and for 64 percent of ammonia, a big contributor to acid rain. Global warming, acid rain, we're all going to die! Not only that, but livestock's demand for feed crops contributes to biodiversity loss. The report proposes to increase the efficiency of livestock production and feed crop agriculture, and to improve animals' diets to reduce fermentation and consequent methane emissions. Feed 'em Beano |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #6 Scientist LoveLock is back on DRUDGE, saying that ITS TOO LATE, to save mankind becuz its too late for Gaia. All together now, wid feelings > WE "RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMEEEEEEDDDDDD. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-11-30 23:58 |
| #5 What this report doesn't make clear is that livestock generates these greenhouse gas equivalents as a digestive bi-product. ie, by farting. This means that a proportion of the air we breathe comes out of some cow, sheep, pig or dogs arse. It makes you wonder how adherants to some religions, who revile pigs and dogs as unclean, can retain their self respect when confronted by this scientific insight. |
| Posted by: Bunyip 2006-11-30 22:01 |
| #4 I think they ment some other gas. Nitrous Oxide is not easy to make. It takes high pressure and high heat. Usually. Teddy Kennedy might be able to make some. I really think the writer ment methane. That's easy and what large farm animals fart the most of. Not CO2. The animal poop can be gathered and enough methane extracted to be monetarily worthwhile. The largest creator of VOC's (volitile organic chemicals)in the office is Human bioefluent emissions. In other words, burps and farts. Why do farts burn? Methane. Same is true of animals. They do create CO2 through the process of respiration but they create much more methane whic is a much more efficient greenhouse gas than CO2. Bugwits. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2006-11-30 19:31 |
| #3 No pate fois gras for you silly UN boy! |
| Posted by: badanov 2006-11-30 14:09 |
| #2 Avian flu will take care of that. Hey, I have an idea, the UN cafe doesn't serve meat anymore. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-11-30 13:30 |
| #1 Nitrous Oxide? No wonder the pigs are giggling... |
| Posted by: Zoot 2006-11-30 13:16 |