They are still kinda hot. 
Posted on 12/28/2006 12:26:53 PM PST by InvisibleChurch
As the human population continues to multiply -- and our biological footprint on the planet becomes larger -- so do all the things associated with us, including our livestock, says the New York Times.
For example, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
At present, there are about 1.5 billion cattle and domestic buffalo and about 1.7 billion sheep and goats in the world. Global livestock grazing and feed production use 30 percent of the land surface of the planet. Livestock -- which consume more food than they yield -- also compete directly with humans for water. But what is even more striking, and alarming, are their effects on the environment:
Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect, more than transportation's contribution. The culprits are methane -- the natural result of bovine digestion -- and the nitrogen emitted by manure. Deforestation adds to the effect; the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive terrain, rain forests especially, than anything else. There are no easy trade-offs when it comes to global warming -- such as cutting back on cattle to make room for cars, says the Times. The human passion for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon. Our health and the health of the planet depend on pushing livestock production in more sustainable directions.
Source: Editorial, "Meat and the Planet," New York Times, December 27, 2006.
For text:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/opinion/27wed4.html
For full report:
http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.pdf
For more on Environment Issues:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=31
The Sun is responsible for 100% of global warming.
Depends. During the day when the plant if in the photosynthetic mode, it takes in CO2 and exhales Oxygen. At night the process reverses and the plants respirate.
Looks like the U.S. is steadily reducing methane emissions. Apparently wetlands are responsible for 76% of all naturally produced methane. Sorry, duck hunters, for the good of the chirren we gotta dredge and drain.
Good thing we wiped out all the buffalo on the great plains. Imagine the warming carnage that would have ensued without our intervention.
To get back to the point of it; is there more domestic livestock than there used to be herds of wild ruminants? Do wild ruminants belch less?
The volume, frequency and duration of burps is determined by the feedstock and the size of the stock feeding.
No plant can grow unless it is a net consumer of CO2. Plants use Solar energy (through photosynthesis) to crack CO2. They incorporate the carbon into the plant material, and release most of the O2.
Animals get carbon, for growth, by eating plants (or things that eat plants). They also get energy by burning most of the hydrocarbons that they eat.
In other words, both plants and animals grow by taking in carbon (and many other elements). Plants use Solar energy to run the endothermic reaction when they break CO2 into C and O2. Animals run on chemical energy, combining C with O2, which is an exothermic reaction.
10-4!
Maybe we could put Beano in their feed.
OOPS ... you're right ... and I should have and actually did know better. I guess I should have had that first cup of coffee before posting.
In any event, because these animals are ruminants, they are able to digest plants which humans cannot.
I can see the headline: "UN demands global vegetarianism."
They are still kinda hot.
"Cows are all t'way up at 18 percent!?? Well dadgum, Slim, ah'm goin' to do sumptin' bout that!"
Bullseye! That's exactly what I think of, whenever I see/hear the term "vegan", too. :-)
British researchers have apparently come up with a cattle feed that lowers bovine methane emissions by about 80 percent. Now, pass the A-1 sauce, please...
Break out the smoker and place bacon on top to prevent drying.
Wellll, OK. I just hope you can account for how much methane was released in order to provide you that cup of coffee. /s
Which is one of the main reasons (though far from the only one) I will continue to BBQ beef or buffalo for dinner and go lightly on the prairie grass.
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