Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Cowgate: Animal Agriculture Not a Major Contributor to Global Warming. Any Comments?

From the Washington Post.

 

Forget all that indecorous talk of animal flatulence, cow burps, vegetarianism and global warming. Welcome to Cowgate.

Lower consumption of meat and dairy products will not have a major impact in combating global warming — despite persistent claims that link such diets to more greenhouse gases. So says a report presented Monday before the American Chemical Society.

It is the bovine version of Climategate, complete with faulty science and noisy activists with big agendas.

Cows and pigs have gotten a "bum rap," said Frank Mitloehner, an air quality expert at the University of California at Davis who authored the report. He is plenty critical of scientists and vegetarian activists such as Paul McCartney who insist that livestock account for about a fifth of all greenhouse-gas emissions.

He also is critical of highly-publicized campaigns that call for "meatless Mondays" or push the motto "Less Meat = Less Heat," a European campaign launched in December during the Copenhagen climate summit. Talk of pricey air pollution permits of a "cow tax" for already cash-strapped farmers has surfaced in the U.S. and abroad.

 
Click here to read the whole story on the Washington Post website...

Views: 287

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joann on April 8, 2010 at 2:24am
It just proves once again, that the populace are being herded like a school of fish with an aquarium mind-set.

The UN clearly is focused on shifting the global wealth and has patently found the argument of "climate change" as an easily accepted vehicle that most people can readily buy into. The global warming debate lends a level of empowerment to the average citizen. We are now demanding lifestyle changes without the benefit of global "truths" such as "Producing less meat and milk will only mean more hunger in poor countries." .

How can government turn down demands from their majority of citizens?

Another good article can be found at (24 March 2010)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8583308.stm
"Dr Mitloehner contends that in developed societies such as the US - where transport emissions account for about 26% of the national total, compared with 3% for pig- and cattle-rearing - meat is the wrong target in efforts to reduce carbon emissions."
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on April 8, 2010 at 3:09pm
From London's Science Museum:
" The scientific community has, with some exceptions, concluded that climate change is real, largely driven by humans and requires a response," said the museum's director Professor Chris Rapley. "Our objective is to minimise the shrill tone and emotion that bedevils discussion of this subject."

with that being said... Let's get on with life and enjoy the upcoming BBQ season.
Permalink Reply by Arik Theijsmeijer on April 9, 2010 at 2:21am
Just a note that emissions from animal agriculture are not just about bodily emissions from the animals themselves, more important is the energy and water expended in growing and transporting grain for those animals. So while the criticism of the UN in report is sound, it is not at all the point of that report. The point of the report still stands, in that reducing the consumption of grain-fed meat overall leads to significantly lower emmissions. Carbon is actually sequestered in grass-fed methods so it is the grain that matters.

It's also important to note that you can just focus on any one sector, like transportation or agriculture, as we have consider the environment in all major aspects of our lives in order to do what it takes to reduce the serious impact of climate change. Finally, to take the UN's mistake and speculate about what either global food policy or individual choices should be as Mr. Mitloehner does in the longer versio of the article, is not his role and is beyond his expertise and his work, as various commentors have stated since this 'sensational' story broke.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Fertilizer Canada responds to U.S. tariff threat

The U.S. can’t increase its fertilizer production overnight, Fertilizer Canada says

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Welcomes Three Directors to Board

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) is pleased to announce the results of its Board of Directors election, following the close of voting on November 28. The election brings one new Director to the board while retaining two Directors for another term. Joining the SPG Board is Dan Flynn of Lucky Lake. SPG welcomes back Robyn Henry of Hodgeville and Stuart Lawrence of Rosetown, who were both re-elected. The newly elected Directors will officially join SPG’s Board in January 2026, following the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). “On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Dan, Robyn, and Stuart,” says SPG Chair Winston van Staveren. “Each elected member brings valuable experience, expertise, and diverse perspectives that represent a wide range of growing regions across the province. I also want to thank all the candidates who put their names forward. The increased level of engagement and strong slate of candidates this year was positive to see.” Van Staveren also ack

Pulse Market Insight #287

Big Crops But No Surprises From StatsCan The long-awaited 2025 yield and production estimates from StatsCan were released this week but were a bit anticlimactic; anyone looking for a surprise in the numbers would have been disappointed. Yes, crops were certainly larger this year but that was already expected. During harvest, reports of very large yields kept coming in, well above StatsCan’s August and September numbers. As a result, this month’s higher yield estimates from StatsCan were anticipated. In fact, it would have been a shock if the yield numbers hadn’t changed. These latest estimates from StatsCan were based on a large farmer survey conducted in November and confirmed the positive harvest results. In fact, they may have understated the actual yields, as they sometimes do. The StatsCan numbers show the total 2025 pulse crop at 8.22 mln tonnes, a jump of more than 2 million tonnes from last year and the largest production since 2016/17. There were differences for each of the

Alberta Grains and Western Crop Innovations Launch Three-Year Agreement to Strengthen Barley Breeding in Alberta

Alberta Grains (AG) and Western Crop Innovations (WCI) have signed a new three-year Breeding and Technician Chair agreement to advance feed barley breeding in Alberta. Announced at the Alberta Grains Regional Meeting in Lacombe, the partnership represents a $600,000 investment from Alberta Grains, delivered at $200,000 per year, to fund a breeder and senior technician dedicated to high-impact barley research and variety development. Strengthening the Future of Public Plant Breeding in Canada Cereal breeding in Canada has long relied on public funding, but the landscape is rapidly shifting. With the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) moving forward on Seed Regulatory Modernization and farmers urging Prime Minister Carney’s government to recognize agriculture’s economic importance, the need for sustainable public plant breeding has become a national discussion. At the same time, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) faces budget reductions and plans to exit variety development i

Maizex Seeds Invests in the Future of Seed Corn Production in Canada

Maizex Seeds, the seed division of Sollio Agriculture, announces the groundbreaking of a major $8.8 million investment in a new seed corn processing and packaging plant at their Blenheim, Ontario, facility. Maizex Seeds is a national company producing and selling corn and soybean seeds to farmers from coast to coast in Canada under the Maizex brand. The company also sells forage seeds and cereal varieties to farmers in eastern Canada and recently introduced several canola hybrids.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service