Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns
When emissions from land use and land use change are included, the livestock sector accounts for 9 per cent of CO2 deriving from human-related activities, but produces a much larger share of even more harmful greenhouse gases. It generates 65 per cent of human-related nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2. Most of this comes from manure.
And it accounts for respectively 37 per cent of all human-induced methane (23 times as warming as CO2), which is largely produced by the digestive system of ruminants, and 64 per cent of ammonia, which contributes significantly to acid rain.
Some good news below.
With increased prosperity, people are consuming more meat and dairy products every year
See here.
Republicans have done a bang-up job curing that last problem but other problems persist. Cutting down rainforests to spread the pollution gives a double whammy to the environment.
Another pump from another source:
No bull: Dairy to be powered by cow manure
GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Oregon's largest dairy will test a new generation of technology that captures methane from cow manure — tapping an underused energy source and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
..Methane digesters are not new, but Bill Eddie of the foundation said the model developed by J-U-B Engineers of Boise, Idaho, costs much less and can be used on small farms as well as big ones.
...Agriculture accounts for about a third of the methane released into the atmosphere in the U.S. Other sources include landfills, coal mining, and oil and gas refineries. It is considered the No. 2 greenhouse gas contributing to global warming, after carbon dioxide.
Just maybe the rugged frontier way ain't for the best. Possible we can learn something from others you think?
Vegetable and grain farming doesn't really change things all that much. Tree farming might but that's a whole different subject.
What to do? What to do?
For John Wayne fans favoring the rugged individual style of all conservatives, there are some options. For example:
- Move to Alaska, buy a cave and grow mushrooms. There should be no shortage of manure considering their fine governor. As the weather warms, the cave can keep you cool.
- Buy some Norman Rockwell lithographs and paste them over your windows so you won't notice things turning brown and ugly outside. Buy lots of fans.
For liberals there is only one option.
Turn farms green so that they generate biofuel energy and fertilizer from self-sustaining farming.
Your choice.
Best, Terry