I always like searching the Globe and Mail for thought provoking articles that resonate with me. Usually, they are articles that pertain to something around agriculture or what the writer (most likely an “urbanite” thinks of agriculture) so you have to take the stories as they are.
I came across this article this morning entitled “Are meat eaters killing the planet?” and quickly clicked on it to read it- it had to be controversial- especially in my mind when I am far from being a vegetarian or vegan of any kind. I like to support my fellow farmers and eat as much meat as possible.
To begin the article, 2 scientists were quoted as saying ““Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases” and “livestock generate more than half of all global greenhouse-gas emissions – more than the combined impact of industry and energy. (The previously accepted figure was 18 per cent.) Most of the problem is caused by methane-emitting cows.”
Now these are obviously two smart individuals who have worked hard to garner their titles of “scientists” but really, are these comments intelligent? Did they ever think that if people DIDN’T eat meat, then there would be a lot more “methane-emitting cows” walking the earth, and hence even worse global warming?! Or perhaps they even failed to mention or look at other factors that come to my mind SO much quicker than methane-emitting cows- say the billions of people that our earth cannot sustain, or maybe the increase in motorized vehicles? ! Would you have even thought oh my!
I think its so funny that people always jump on the bandwagon to yet again, try and push farmers out of business. For readers in an urban area that read this rubbish, perhaps they will believe it and stop eating meat altogether like these scientists suggest. And then its a ripple effect and before you know it, everyone isn’t eating meat because “it causes global warming!” Rubbish I say.
Yet again, here is another instance where education to the consumer is key before everyone stops eating meat altogether thinking its going to combat global warming!
Although the author of the article didn’t quite wrap up the story and finish it as she started- discussing the implications of eating meat- I still found it interesting enough that people (scientists) would be enticing people to stop eating meat.
I think they would have an even bigger problem on their hands if people stopped eating meat… maybe the scientists should have thought of that before they go and start accusing meat eaters that we are causing the problem of global warming and climate change?!
November 4, 2009 at 7:31 am
I’ll note that if people cut back on eating cattle (stopping completely isn’t practical to expect no matter what you believe should happen), fewer would bred, leading a decrease in the cattle population.
Also, I don’t think people urging moderation in animal product consumption (like me) think it’s the only thing one should do to fight global warming, just that it’s a relatively easy way to do it that we should add to the more famous tactics like cutting driving less, using less electricity, etc.
February 21, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Your blog reminds me of a good quote from The Simpsons “If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about!”
Your argument doesn’t really make sense about the abundance of cows wandering around if we weren’t eating them.. but ok you’re entitled to your own thoughts..