Naturalpath

Which causes more greenhouse gas emissions, raising cattle or driving cars?

Surprise - it's the cows. Yes, it's true that our cow-centric American diet contributes significantly to global warming. And cutting even some meat from our daily diets could have a greater effect than buying that eco-friendly car you've been oogling.

According to a recent report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.

Meat production not only consumes a huge swath of agricultural land, but the by-product of animal raising - nitrous oxide and methane gases -- are no laughing matter as they contribute much more to the greenhouse effect than CO2.

This conclusion was supported by impressive data in a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report issued last year: Livestock’s Long Shadow.

Al Gore: U.S. responsible for blocking progress at the U.N. conference on global warming.  This is moving and important speech. We can only speculate how the last eight years would have been different if Al had found his voice earlier. 

The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, pointed his finger squarely at the US as this nation continues to block agreement on emissions goal at the Bali conference on global warming. Rudd's comments was the latest criticism of the US at the conference. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned earlier that addressing climate change would fail without a greater commitment from the world's richest nation.

Hi all!  

Do you find yourselves searching for a green holiday gift that's hip, relevant, and makes a difference in the fight against climate change?  Well, look no further than WE ADD UP.  WE ADD UP is a brand new global warming awareness project!  It's a global count of people committing to help fight global warming by taking simple steps in their everday lives that make a big difference.  WE ADD UP is an organic t-shirt campaign and every organic tee is custom hand-printed with a number - that number represents your unique position in the sequential global count!  So if you were the 500th person to get counted in, the number on your shirt would be 500.  The backs of the shirts feature different action messages - simple things that anyone can do to decrease their carbon footprint, like Bike, Unplug, Drink Tap, Organic, Mass Transit, Shower Together, Recycle, Buy Local - there are over 20 different messages to choose from for the back of your shirt.  The design of the WE ADD UP tees is simple, clean, and appealing for both men and women - and all the tees are made of certified organic cotton that's grown and sewn in the USA.  The WE ADD UP line makes it incredibly easy and fun to get counted in the fight against global warming - and it lets us know that simple changes do make a big difference because WE ADD UP!  

<< Part 1 

How much this change is directly attributable to greenhouse gas emissions is an issue still being studied by climate researchers. Some snow disappears for reasons other than global warming.

Part 2 >>

Public discussion of global warming is often caught in a vortex of misinformation perpetuated by extreme forces who say it’s all just a big hoax. This often causes the most relevant scientific questions to get lost, suggests Washington State climatologist Philip Mote, PhD, who has been working for years to understand climate changes brought about by human activity.

Southern California wildfires released almost 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in just a one-week period, according to researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado at Boulder. This is the equivalent of about 25 percent of the average monthly emissions from all fossil fuel burning throughout California. 

I was lucky enough to get a peek at the new environmental film, 11th Hour. A powerful and thought-provoking film that examines the ingredients — from economic philosophy to scientific certitudes — of the environmental cocktail that has brought us to the precipice of disaster. All manner of scientists and philosophers speak to the impending climate crisis and potential solutions. The film documents interviews with over 50 scholars, theorists and experts — from Gorbachov to — curiously featured, former CIA chief, James Woolsey — who take us on a journey that hopefully ends in motivating more planet-friendly actions by anyone viewing the piece.

As a some-time filmaker and fulltime movie afficiando my only major criticism is, like many Hollywood films, this baby is 15 minutes too long. On a minor note, the celebrity hungry public will probably wish Leo had more screen time; and the producers’ names are splashed all over the website and film like the credits in a first-time feature, but these are all minor quibbles. The film hits hard and will have a big impact. And it’s a worthy companion piece to that gentleman, Mr. Gore’s film.

Today I was watching the News which is a pretty rare occasion for me and the Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson was on the show talking about Environmental Responsibility. According to EPA, it is a responsibility of all human beings to care and protect the Environment. Green Consumerism is the new catch phrase that has taken hold in modern society. People are becoming more aware that the Earth can not continue to sustain the lifestyle we have become accustomed to. It is our social responsibility to care for our planet and teach the future generation to care for it also.

The first thing you can do is cut down on your automobile consumption. The EPA states that this is the number one contributor to Global Warming. One of the simplest things you can do is to not speed. Speeding means that more gas is being consumed. Also don't use your car as a storage facility. Take out your golf clubs before you head into work. Consider biking to work couple days a week. I had a friend who commuted to his law office everyday on his bicycle. He beat the traffic and always came home with a smile. Try walking sometime. Walking is one of the best way you can stay in shape and help the Environment. Another tip is to fill your gas up at night. Less emissions of gas and fumes. This is particularly important in the hotter months.