Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Friday, August 09, 2019
Ranchers dispute UN report that links cows to climate change
A major report from the United Nations
focuses on the key role of our food and land use in fighting climate
change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says agriculture,
forestry and other land uses produce nearly half of the world's methane
emissions, a greenhouse gas that also comes from cows. But many
ranchers argue the cow-climate change connection is overblown. One study
says going vegan for a year reduces your carbon footprint by half as
much as avoiding a single flight to Europe. Rancher Brandi Buzzard says
the cattle she raises for beef are part of the solution to climate
change, not the problem. "When cattle graze on grass pastures, they are actually improving the
grass and what they're grazing on," she said. "We are doing everything
we can to improve our environmental footprint." Cow manure emits methane which can also come from cow burps, and yes, cow flatulence. Electricity generation and transportation like car emissions make up the majority of U.S.-produced greenhouse gases. But cows account for 2.6%. "So I think we can make more impactful changes in our lives through recycling, or walking to work, or using public transportation than we can by actually changing what we eat, because it will have such a minimal impact," Buzzard said.
But changing what we eat, is what the report suggests. It argues, in part, that eating more plant-based foods and sustainably-produced meats can change land use and mitigate climate change. UC Davis professor Frank Mitloehner, who studies livestock and air quality, wants Americans to focus on the energy wasted on food they don't consume.
"40% of all food produced in this country goes to waste and you know who the main culprit is? You and I," Mitloehner said. "So if you're really concerned about your personal environmental footprint around food, well, waste less."...MORE
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment