Ireland – Government officials in Ireland are considering slaughtering cows to help fight climate change. Sources report that ranchers may be offered financial incentives to voluntarily cull their herds – with a goal of 200,000 cows being culled to help achieve “net zero” emissions.
Irish farmers have pointed out that the culling of herds will simply increase the demand for beef imported from other countries. Irish politician Peadar Tóibín pointed out the short-sighted the plan is, especially if it pushes imports from countries like Brazil:
“How is it environmentally friendly to kill large swathes of the Amazon, import that beef from Brazil to substitute for Irish beef that’s been culled here in this state. It’s a significant threat hanging over farmers in this country, and we must have a debate crystallizing exactly what the plan of this government is.”
Katy Atkinson, an agricultural advocate who raises cattle in Albany County, told Cowboy State Daily about the problems with the Groupthink, tunnel-vision mentality:
“Groupthink happens a lot around the climate change conversation. We get tunnel visioned on one piece of it without considering the full ramifications of what’s going to happen if we remove cattle from the land,”
It has been pointed out that millions of bison roamed North America in the 1500s through the early 1800s and they did not negatively impact the climate, but somehow cattle, whose numbers today are similar to the bison population of the past, are now blamed for the climate crisis. Both animals are ruminants with digestive systems that produce methane emissions.
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts about culling cattle for “zero emissions” goals, in the comment section below.
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