Animal Activists have discovered another way to attack animal agriculture by spreading “fake news” about Green House Gas (GHGs) emissions. The issue of the environment and climate change is a popular topic in the media in recent times. As we know, the entire world is concerned with reducing GHG emissions to prevent a further increase in global temperatures. This has turned the world’s attention to GHGs and their sources.
The main sources of GHGs come as no surprise: oil and gas industries and vehicle emissions. But the GHGs produced by animal agriculture and their impact on the environment have also been in the news. Some special interest groups are implying that animal agriculture is responsible for 50% of GHG production, which is absolutely untrue Recently, The Eat Lancet report presented a scenario for consuming a highly plant-based diet to “Save The Planet.” This report made news headlines, but, unfortunately the many articles indicating the flaws and biases in the report did not.
In reality, plant and animal agriculture combined make up approximately 10% of emissions in Canada or the US Of that, animal agriculture makes up about 60% (or 7% of total GHG emissions) In contrast, the oil and gas and transportation sectors make up about 50% of emissions in Canada, followed by buildings, electricity generation and industry.
What if we were to abandon animal agriculture? Would it save the planet?
An extensive study in the US (reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2017) examined the effect of completely eliminating animal agriculture on GHG emissions in the US. The study stated that the GHG emissions would only be reduced by 2.6% after accounting for adjustments to resulting agricultural demands. The report also stated that without animal products, it would be difficult to meet the nutritional requirements of the human population and therefore nutritional deficiencies would be widespread Livestock. Particularly ruminants, consume substantial amounts of by-products from food, biofuel and fibre production that are not edible by humans, and they make use of untellable pasture and grazing lands that are not suitable to produce crops for human consumption. Animals also provide us with more than food. A multitude of animal-derived products are used in adhesives, cosmetics, cosmetics,
Fertilizer, germicides, glues, candies, refining sugar, textiles, upholstery. Photographic films, ointments. Paper, heart valves and many other products an assessment of agricultural systems must consider that animals and crops affect more than GHGs.
Based on studies done by Dr. Nathan Pelletier, Egg Farmers of Canada’s Chair in Sustainability, we in the Canadian egg industry have been reducing our environments footprint for decades, For the post 50 years, Canadian egg production has increased by 50% while the industry’s environmental footprint dropped by almost 50% In a recent Spanish study, scientists obtained a carbon footprint per dozen eggs of 2.7 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is described as similar to milk and much lower than that of veal, pork or lamb.
The egg industry has an amazing success story to tell about our effect on the environment and it’s time that we told it!
by Craig Hunter, Egg Farmers of Ontario
