2lbs of Beef Produce the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a 3hr d

Pepe Silvia

http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/joshua ... our_drive/

Two Pounds of Beef Produce the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Three-Hour Drive While leaving all the lights at home burning bright during the trip.

New Scientist: "Meat is Murder on the Environment" ...

A kilogram of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution than driving for 3 hours while leaving all the lights on back home.

This is among the conclusions of a study by Akifumi Ogino of the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Tsukuba, Japan, and colleagues, which has assessed the effects of beef production on global warming, water acidification and eutrophication, and energy consumption...

Their analysis showed that producing a kilogram of beef ... is responsible for the equivalent of the amount of CO2 emitted by the average European car every 250 kilometres, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days.

Hat-tip to Ezra Klein, who anticipates the inevitable cries that these kinds of studies set the stage for the proverbial jack-booted thugs to take away Americans' God-given right to a nice Salisbury steak:

As always, the issue isn't that people shouldn't eat burgers. They should just know what's entailed in eating that burger. Plenty of folks are appalled to see a living room light left on but would never think to trade the cheeseburger for a grilled cheese.

VINNY GOOMBA

Very interesting... I did not know this. That being said, pollution has never tasted so good!

soulsinging

that's why i eat the beef... i eat the cow, it can't produce anymore greenhouse gasses.

Pepe Silvia

soulsinging wrote:

that's why i eat the beef... i eat the cow, it can't produce anymore greenhouse gasses.

haha you take the fight to them there so we don't have to have it here

decides2dream

ouch!

i've read some about all the enivornmental issues associated with meat consumption but that definitely is a great illustration. and yikes, that sucks. so all the more i need to turn off lights, recycle, use public transport, etc...to try and offset somewhat my occasional burgers. i love burgers!

soulsinging

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

decides2dream

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

perhaps it's simply drawing attention to HOW we go about rasing beef, is not environmentally friendly, and that maybe...we could develop better, more sustainable methods? i think articles like these are good, to point out just what our choices amount to....and then maybe we will realize, we should work towards better solutions. it's kinda like the campaign for buying local produce...probably healthier for you, and also for the planet...cutting back on transport costs and all. so i do disagree, i don't think it's a dumb study at all.

tybird

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

Exactly....mass orgy of cow killing followed by a huge barbeque....how come no one discusses how much pollution is created by all of the smoking worldwide?? Possibly billions of people lighting up several times a day has got to add to the crap in the atmosphere......

soulsinging

tybird wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

Exactly....mass orgy of cow killing followed by a huge barbeque....how come no one discusses how much pollution is created by all of the smoking worldwide?? Possibly billions of people lighting up several times a day has got to add to the crap in the atmosphere......

what about every time i let one slip in my office? or people with halitosis? where does it stop?

if it has something to do with production, maybe it's worth looking into. but i fail to see what we can do... the cows are still going to be there. and there's no way they hold a candle to what we do to the atmosphere.

Kel Varnsen

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

As always, the issue isn't that people shouldn't eat burgers. They should just know what's entailed in eating that burger. Plenty of folks are appalled to see a living room light left on but would never think to trade the cheeseburger for a grilled cheese.

Except cheese comes from milk and milk comes from cows so we are right back at the same problem.

Pepe Silvia

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

As always, the issue isn't that people shouldn't eat burgers. They should just know what's entailed in eating that burger. Plenty of folks are appalled to see a living room light left on but would never think to trade the cheeseburger for a grilled cheese.

Except cheese comes from milk and milk comes from cows.

or goats

soulsinging

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

As always, the issue isn't that people shouldn't eat burgers. They should just know what's entailed in eating that burger. Plenty of folks are appalled to see a living room light left on but would never think to trade the cheeseburger for a grilled cheese.

Except cheese comes from milk and milk comes from cows.

or goats

i guarantee you it'd be a matter of months before we see the same study saying goats are destroying the planet becos of the milk industry. this is nonsense PETA propaganda. it's not about the environment, it's about looking for reasons to take on the meat industry. which is fine. but they should be honest about it.

Pepe Silvia

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

according to the article in New Scientist you would see it's not just from 'a cow farting' but also the transport of it's feed and waste removal is calculated, energy used on the farming methods (although doesn't facotr in transportation to the slaughterhouse and to where you buy it)....it's not saying it's all on the cow

Possible interventions, the authors suggest, include better waste management and shortening the interval between calving by one month. This latter measure could reduce the total environmental load by nearly 6 per cent. A Swedish study in 2003 suggested that organic beef, raised on grass rather than concentrated feed, emits 40 per cent less greenhouse gases and consumes 85 per cent less energy.

"Methane emissions from beef cattle are declining, thanks to innovations in feeding practices," says Karen Batra of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Centennial, Colorado.

tybird

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

As always, the issue isn't that people shouldn't eat burgers. They should just know what's entailed in eating that burger. Plenty of folks are appalled to see a living room light left on but would never think to trade the cheeseburger for a grilled cheese.

Except cheese comes from milk and milk comes from cows.

or goats

Goats and pigs are the WORST domesticated animals to introduce into a eco-system....they simply love to wipe out as much of the native flora as they can consume.

soulsinging

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

well, if you read the article in New Scientist you would see it's not just from 'a cow farting' but also the transport of it's feed and waste removal is calculated, energy used on the farming methods (although doesn't facotr in transportation to the slaughterhouse and to where you buy it)....it's not saying it's all on the cow

Possible interventions, the authors suggest, include better waste management and shortening the interval between calving by one month. This latter measure could reduce the total environmental load by nearly 6 per cent. A Swedish study in 2003 suggested that organic beef, raised on grass rather than concentrated feed, emits 40 per cent less greenhouse gases and consumes 85 per cent less energy.

"Methane emissions from beef cattle are declining, thanks to innovations in feeding practices," says Karen Batra of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Centennial, Colorado.

fair enough. i buy organic every chance i get anyway. you can definitely taste the difference. things taste better when they die happy and free

damn this thread... my coworkers are planning mexican for lunch and now i am craving a burger so bad it's not even funny!

decides2dream

soulsinging wrote:

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

what exactly is the point of this article? what's it calling for? should we hunt cows to extinction like we did the buffalo, so that they stop fucking up the atmosphere? what's the solution here?

this is one dumb study. who gives a shit? what can we do about cows farting?

well, if you read the article in New Scientist you would see it's not just from 'a cow farting' but also the transport of it's feed and waste removal is calculated, energy used on the farming methods (although doesn't facotr in transportation to the slaughterhouse and to where you buy it)....it's not saying it's all on the cow

Possible interventions, the authors suggest, include better waste management and shortening the interval between calving by one month. This latter measure could reduce the total environmental load by nearly 6 per cent. A Swedish study in 2003 suggested that organic beef, raised on grass rather than concentrated feed, emits 40 per cent less greenhouse gases and consumes 85 per cent less energy.

"Methane emissions from beef cattle are declining, thanks to innovations in feeding practices," says Karen Batra of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Centennial, Colorado.

fair enough. i buy organic every chance i get anyway. you can definitely taste the difference. things taste better when they die happy and free

damn this thread... my coworkers are planning mexican for lunch and now i am craving a burger so bad it's not even funny!

excellent bumper sticker!


buy organic!
things taste better when they die happy and free.


tho technically, that's not just about being organic...but free-range.



btw - why in the hell would you ever get a burger when going out for mexican?! holy shit. waaaayyyyyy more tasty options there!

soulsinging

decides2dream wrote:

excellent bumper sticker!

buy organic!
things taste better when they die happy and free.

tho technically, that's not just about being organic...but free-range.

btw - why in the hell would you ever get a burger when going out for mexican?! holy shit. waaaayyyyyy more tasty options there!

i won't be getting a burger, i'm just saying i wish we were going to a burger place. i'm totally goign to get one this weekend. for now... chicken and cheese will do

decides2dream

soulsinging wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

excellent bumper sticker!

buy organic!
things taste better when they die happy and free.

tho technically, that's not just about being organic...but free-range.

btw - why in the hell would you ever get a burger when going out for mexican?! holy shit. waaaayyyyyy more tasty options there!

i won't be getting a burger, i'm just saying i wish we were going to a burger place. i'm totally goign to get one this weekend. for now... chicken and cheese will do

oh i see. alrighty then.
i actually wanted a burger last night, but we had hubby's yummy bbq'ed buffalo wings instead. however, i still want a burger. yet, there are chicken breasts defrosting in the frige as i type. eh well. i think i'll tell him i'd rather he bbq up some burgers tonight. so my craving was already there before this thread!


(btw isn't it sad how discussing food here can so often make you want that food? happens all the time, at least with me)

tybird

soulsinging wrote:

damn this thread... my coworkers are planning mexican for lunch and now i am craving a burger so bad it's not even funny!

Mexican for lunch....sounds like someone will be producing mucho methane later day. :twisted:

rebornFixer

I am starving now too .... I assume that this thread was intended to have the opposite effect. :P

llove

Eat venison...a better, healthier alternative to beef.