Rigil: What a lovely bike that is. Alas, around here, cycling does not differ very much from attempted suicide.
BM there was an article some time ago that cattle have a greater impact on climate change than all the cars on the planet. Each cow produces 142kg of methane gas annually Big methane burp: Cow farts a greater problem than EPA previously thought, study says | Fox News and
Agriculture is responsible for an estimated 14 percent of the world's greenhouse gases. A significant portion of these emissions come from methane, which, in terms of its contribution to global warming, is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.at http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/methane-cow.htm
I have to wonder though, whether there are more cattle today than tehre were similar large herbivores twenty thousand years ago, and whether cattle produce more methane than wild herbivores.
This is quite staggering:
The world's 1.5 billion cows and billions of other grazing animals emit dozens of polluting gases, including lots of methane. Two-thirds of all ammonia comes from cows.I would expect that revenue producing herds would have increased exponentially with population growth...more eaters more meat needed. Added to that, the natural grazing habits of herbivores would in all likelihood not have produced as much methane as protein rich feeds fed to cattle especially in feedlots.
a strong push is underway to curb methane emissions there. Cows contribute 3 percent of Britain's overall greenhouse gas emissions and 25 to 30 percent of its methane. In New Zealand, where cattle and sheep farming are major industries, 34 percent of greenhouse gases come from livestock. A three-year study, begun in April 2007 by Welsh scientists, is examining if adding garlic to cow feed can reduce their methane production. The study is ongoing, but early results indicate that garlic cuts cow flatulence in half by attacking methane-producing microbes living in cows' stomachs [Source: BBC News]. The researchers are also looking to see if the addition of garlic affects the quality of the meat or milk produced and even if the animals get bad breath.from the same article So garlic flavoured meat??? I like!
Yup, That’s the kind of stuff I’m talking about.
So perhaps feedlots are the problem, rather than cattle as such?
I think it’s us that’s the problem. Too many of us and we all want to live the good life.
Yup, the palaeo diet. Not quite as sustainable as it used to be 20 000 years ago. 