Cows and the Methane Myth By Bob Farmer, Dairy Farmer
As a dairy farmer, cows are my livelihood, so I view with alarm the assault upon agriculture, including dairy farming that has occurred in Europe. I was over-joyed to see the European farmers fighting back, as only farmers can, using their tractors and heaps of manure! And it got results. But the important thing is to sway public opinion, and now the full energies of the New Class chatterers has been to demonise farming, especially cows. Cows are ugly methane producers that release through flatulence and burps, methane that is helping to heat the planet, melt the poles and bring us closer to climate Armageddon. Only, they are not.
As Caroline Stocks points out, the role of cows as high-level methane producers has been vastly over-stated. She quotes air quality expert Frank Mitloehner, professor of animal science at UC Davis in California: "For those who say cows contribute the most GHG emissions, that's simply not true," Prof Mitloehner says.
Livestock's impact has been hugely overstated, while the major culprit — the use of fossil fuels, particularly for transportation — has largely been allowed to slip under the radar."
While I agree with Professor Mitloehner on the over-statement of the role of livestock as methane producers, of course, the globalists have not forgotten about fossil fuels in transport, and are going after them as well.
"From burping cows to grazing sheep, when it comes to global warming the finger of blame is invariably pointed at the livestock industry these days.
Animal agriculture is causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to rise, say critics, and if we're serious about tackling climate change then we need to cut red meat from our diets and switch cow's milk for nut juices in our tea.
It's an argument that's gained a significant amount of traction, with more and more people adopting vegan diets in response to repeated reports — including from the United Nations — that livestock are a major contributor to the world's environmental problems.
But while animal agriculture is by no means blameless in the global warming debate, it seems the industry's impact on the environment is not as significant as critics suggest.
Air quality expert Frank Mitloehner, professor of animal science at UC Davis in California, says the real problem the livestock sector faces is convincing consumers and policy makers that animals aren't the bad guys of the global warming challenge.
Critically, he says there should be an urgent rethinking of methane to acknowledge the true impact of livestock production on the planet — before the sector's reputation is destroyed for good.
Overstated impact"For those who say cows contribute the most GHG emissions, that's simply not true," Prof Mitloehner says.
Livestock's impact has been hugely overstated, while the major culprit — the use of fossil fuels, particularly for transportation — has largely been allowed to slip under the radar."
Comments