Is It True that the Meat Industry Causes More Pollution Than Cars?

[H2Andy]

I note with interest that Andy identifies the three main contributors as things that "enable" society to be all consumptive (entandre' intended)... and, inherently, if the problem were simply one of lowering emissions, I agree with his simplistic answer...

i am empirically enumerating for you where the greatest productions of CO2 emissions are coming from

and the problem is high emissions, so the solution has to be lower emissions

why, what does that mean, what are the philosophical implications thereof, etc. are moot points. CO2 drives runaway greenhouse. you want to stop runaway greenhouse? lower CO2 emissions.

how do you do that? you identify the greatest CO2 emittors.

it's a simple postulation

 

[H2Andy]

but for another perspective:
http://www.isawearthlings.com/7minutesmedium.html

wow ... beautiful and sad stuff there

that's a whole new can of worms, though

 

[Thalassamania]

Paul Theroux's book "The Happy Isles of Oceania".... cannibals in the pacific islands referred to human flesh as "long pig". He also notes that Spam (the canned meat) is very popular in islands with a history of cannibalism.

Captain Cook was "Long Pig." They cooked Cook, and all that was ever recovered were a few finger bones.

Comrade Diver!
Monthly Revolutionary Meeting Moved!
New Location: Starbucks

Out of the Question Comrade Diver, we would be denounced (or deloused?) for non-struggle activities.

 

[J.R.]

i am empirically enumerating for you where the greatest productions of CO2 emissions are coming from

and the problem is high emissions, so the solution has to be lower emissions

why, what does that mean, what are the philosophical implications thereof, etc. are moot points. CO2 drives runaway greenhouse. you want to stop runaway greenhouse? lower CO2 emissions.

how do you do that? you identify the greatest CO2 emittors.

it's a simple postulation

But, Comrade Diver... you address only the symptoms... not the illness. Again, the mechanism... but not the problem. You can build better systems to compensate for the shortcomings of idiots... but they will only build better idiots.

The SOLUTION is for *us* to demand less... lower demand will equate into lower production which will result in less stress on the global system. But... we both know that that isn't going to happen... is it?

I would also like to add that *going nuclear*... while it IS an attractive option, has its own unpleasant side effects. So... at what point of criticality should we begin to address these?

"The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls..."

 

[Karibelle]

The SOLUTION is for *us* to demand less... lower demand will equate into lower production which will result in less stress on the global system. But... we both know that that isn't going to happen... is it?

Just like Al Gore said, we go directly from denial to despair, without stopping in between to actually DO anything.

kari

 

[J.R.]

Just like Al Gore said, we go directly from denial to despair, without stopping in between to actually DO anything.

kari

... and, as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy... and he is us."

 

[Karibelle]

well, I don't know who Pogo is, but I agree with him!
kari

 

[Peter_C]

"Over population is sexually transmitted" <<<<earth's real problem

 

[Oyster Diver]

According the the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector contributes more to global warming than cars.

Livestock contribution is:
9% of CO2 emissions (not including respiration)
37% of Methane (23 times the global warming potential of CO2)
65% of Nitrous Oxide (296 times the global warming potential of CO2)

Making the livestock sector responsible for 18% of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent, which according to the report, is larger than the transportation sector.

The report "Livestock’s Long Shadow–Environmental Issues and Options" can be found at http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.pdf

 

[H2Andy]

wow ... what a great report

but it still doesn't come in the top three in the U.S., where transportation is a much greater problem

take a look at this EPA report:

http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads06/06Trends.pdf

however, you illustrate a great point: this is a global problem, and we have to think in global solutions

in the U.S., energy production, industry stacks, and transporation are the big ones