Cows chilling in a field
Posted on 06/07/2023 7:48:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Irish government is facing a backlash after reports broke of a proposal to kill off as many as 200,000 cows over the next three years in an effort to meet the country’s emissions reduction goals.
Cows chilling in a field
Last week, the Irish Independent reported on a government document describing plans for a potential cull of up to 65,000 dairy cows per year for the next three years. The paper reportedly obtained the documents from Ireland’s Department of Agriculture through a freedom of information request. In all, killing off 200,000 cows would wipe out about 10 percent of Ireland’s dairy cow population.
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture subsequently told the Irish Mirror the document describing the culling operation was part of a deliberation process as the department looks for ways to help Ireland meet its emissions reduction goals and “is not a final policy decision.” Still, the proposal has faced backlash from farming organizations.
“Reports like this only serve to further fuel the view that the government is working behind the scenes to undermine our dairy and livestock sectors,” Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, told The Telegraph.
Pat McCormack, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, also knocked the cull proposal. McCormack balked at the idea that plans for reducing Ireland’s emissions had come to focus on livestock rather than other major emitters like airlines.
“We’re the one industry with a significant roadmap, and, to be quite honest with you, our herd isn’t any larger than it was 25 to 30 years ago,” McCormack told The Telegraph. “Can the same be said for the transport industry, can the same be said for the aviation industry?”
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also pushed back against the cow-killing emissions reduction plan on Saturday.
“This really needs to stop. Killing some cows doesn’t matter for climate change,” Musk, whose portfolio includes the Tesla electric vehicle company, wrote on Twitter.
While the Irish government has yet to reach a final policy decision on the cull, government officials and proponents of the plan have said farmers could voluntarily participate and the program could serve as a retirement strategy for aging farmers.
“Actually what this is is an exit scheme for dairy farmers—I come from a dairy farming background myself—that the farmers themselves have asked for and have called for,” Irish Senator and Green Party Chair Pauline O’Reilly said in Wednesday panel discussion on Virgin Media’s “The Tonight Show.”
Some farmers have still expressed anxiety that a cull program will not be voluntary.
McCormack told The Telegraph that if the government does decide on the cull policy “it needs to be a voluntary scheme. That’s absolutely critical.”
The Irish government’s efforts to reduce emissions are in line with the broader reduction goals of the European Union.
The Dutch government, another E.U. member, has also pushed for livestock reductions as a means of controlling emissions.
Last year, farmers in the Netherlands began protesting emissions rules that many of them believe will make their livelihoods unsustainable. One Dutch farmer, Robbin Voorend, told The Epoch Times he would have to cut his livestock numbers by 90 to 95 percent to meet new nitrogen emissions rules.
The New Zealand government also brought forward a plan last year to tax farmers for biogenic methane emissions, which mainly come from livestock burps and flatulence. The proposal was also met with protests from farmers around the country.
This better not affect my Kerry Irish Butter!! It’s expensive enough already!
I suggest, as a trade, we kill off 200,000 Politicians.
At WTF point do people just tell govt to feck the hell off!?! This is INSANE.
Even God’s beautiful creatures are moaning. So sad. 🙏🙏
I would certainly hope there would be a backlash.
This plan sounds like something Ca. Gov. Gavin Newsome would promote, even when not really expecting it to happen, similar to his promotion of Reparations.
This growing focus on reducing the food supply is a very revealing trend. It portends nothing good.
Gee, ya think farmers might be anxious? Who in their right mind would believe that cock and bull story from the government?
What would the government do? Send in the army to shoot the cows and leave the rotting carcasses lying about?
Killing food for PEOPLE to "save the earth" is absolutely the most idiotic, most stupid, utterly insane thing I've ever heard.
If the Irish hadn't given up their weapons and they had a 2A, they might have a fighting chance against the EU lunatics.
This 10% reduction is the profit to the already weak farmer.
What are the experts going to recommend when there are no farmers And no food?
Talk about a major disconnect between reality and shit government policy by the experts.
Instead of raiding the west, go tell the fullani to reduce their herds 50% and quit using their coal pots
Kerry just signed an agreement for the US to do the same. Of course, that evil prick doesn’t have the authority to do that so l doubt it stands unless the rats pack the SC.
Maybe Greta doesn’t like cows.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. Why not sell them to a Country that will meet standards with cows?
Meanwhile, China isn’t talking about culling any of their food sources.
Destroying healthy cows that provide milk, butter, cheese, and meat in order to save the planet. It’s a lie and a trap.
Peach
John Kerry, Biden’s Climate Czar, just signed an agreement to reduce the number of US farms.
What you see happening in the Netherlands and Ireland is coming here and nobody is going to stop it.
> This 10% reduction is the profit to the already weak farmer. <
Small farm goes broke, multinational corporation steps in and buys the land.
Maybe that the goal, and the stupid greenies are just dupes.
RE: John Kerry, Biden’s Climate Czar, just signed an agreement to reduce the number of US farms.
He can sign anything all he wants the U.S. Constitution does not give him the power to make it law in this country.
Clearly, you are living on another planet for thinking this.
Disagree. Each cow is worth at least 5 politicians, that will be at least 1 million politicians.
Cows have been around for thousands of years and have had NO effect on “climate”. These people are totally nuts and are going to destroy the world
(to “save” it).
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