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: 285

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

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."
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.
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

Canada and Mexico Strengthen Agri-food Cooperation under the 2025-2028 Action Plan

Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Heath MacDonald and the Mexico Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, met on Tuesday, October 14 to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation and trade ties between the two countries. This meeting is part of the Canada–Mexico Action Plan 2025–2028, announced on September 18, 2025, by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, through which both governments reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a dynamic bilateral agenda aimed at achieving shared objectives over the next three years. Through these actions, Canada and Mexico seek to continue strengthening their role as strategic partners in the global agri-food trade fostering a sustainable, inclusive, and growing sector that enabled agri-food trade between both countries to increase by 50% from 2018 to 2023. During the meeting, both officials emphasized the strategic importance of the Canada–Mexico

U.S. and Canadian Tractor Sales Rise in September 2025

According to recent data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), U.S. sales of agricultural tractors grew 4.1% in September 2025 compared to the year before. U.S. sales of 2-wheel-drive tractors increased 5.1% in the same period.

CJWW news reporter attending International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) conference in Kenya

Keira Miller is the Canadian representative at the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders program, where ten agricultural journalists under the age of 35 are selected to participate in two-day event prior to the main IFAJ conference. She is joined by fellow ag journalists from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Kazahkstan, Liberia and Kenya. More information on the program can be viewed here. CJWW Agriculture Director Neil Billinger spoke to Keira on Tuesday night in Kenya (early afternoon in Saskatchewan) via Microsoft Teams. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including Kenyan cuisine, seeing a zebra up close and the importance of agriculture to a country that relies heavily on domestic farmers to feed the population. The interview is below and so are some of Keira’s photos.  You can also follow her updates on the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation Facebook and Instagram pages. We will speak to Keira again on Sunday just before she departs Keny

RDAR expands grazing program to include virtual fencing

RDAR has expanded its OFCAF rotational grazing program to include virtual fencing — a GPS-based technology helping Alberta producers manage pastures, save labour, and improve sustainability with up to $75,000 in funding support. The new funding stream is designed to help cattle producers adopt “invisible fence” systems that use GPS-enabled collars and base stations to create and manage grazing zones through a computer or smartphone. The collars train livestock to recognize virtual boundaries through sound cues and, if necessary, mild corrective pulses. RDAR says the technology could make rotational grazing easier and more precise, improving soil health and biodiversity while reducing overgrazing and manual labour. Smart system with multi-advantages “Virtual fencing is more than a replacement for wire,” says Richard Hilton, Manager of Stakeholder Relations & Communications, RDAR. “It’s a smart grazing system that gives producers more control, better data, and the flexibility to move

CBRC commits $1.8 million to CDC barley breeding activities

The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) announced today it will provide $1.8 million in funding over three years to the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC), to extend the core breeding agreement and support the development of varieties with improved agronomics, disease resistance and end-use quality. The CBRC is a collaboration between the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), Alberta Grains and Manitoba Crop Alliance. “The keys to past success within the CDC barley breeding program have been the skilled staff, our in-house malt and molecular marker labs and the ability to evaluate large numbers of breeding lines. This CBRC funding will support these pillars moving forward,” said Dr. Curtis Pozniak (PhD), director of the Crop Development Centre.  “This renewed investment ensures Western Canadian farmers can expect new barley varieties from a world-class program, keeping barley competitive with improved yield and agronomic benef

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service