Cattle ranchers are making less money in the US despite beef prices at an all-time high. In the meantime, Trump started importing beef from Argentina to lower beef prices, but only achieved to lower cattle prices.

Trump supporting cattle ranchers weren’t happy

  • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    23 hours ago

    How deserving of the crown are we if we are willing to roll the dice and continue the mass extinction even we are provoking just so that a few of use can indulge for a few generations?

    Considering livestock and related transport/storage is a large portion of total GHGs, I’d say we are making the same point.

    • atro_city@fedia.ioOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      23 hours ago

      Yeah, no.

      It is estimated that cattle farming accounts for approximately 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions through methane production [18].

      Page 2 of A Green Misconception: The Real Impact and Role of Greenhouse Gases

      According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—a fully developed cow can emit up to 500 liters of methane each day, which accounts for approximately 3.7 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions [36].

      Global Warming And Diary Cattle: How to Control and Reduce Methane Emission

      That can also be reduced, if the extrapolation is correct to nearly 0% if algae were included in cattle-feed at just 2%

      However, inclusion =2% reduced gas and eliminated methane production in the fermentations indicating a minimum inhibitory dose level.

      The red macroalgae Asparagopsis taxiformis is a potent natural antimethanogenic that reduces methane production during in vitro fermentation with rumen fluid Available

      Again, we can quote studies at each other and claim the other person to be wrong or what can and should be done, but it won’t get us anywhere. You will stick to your opinion and I will to mine.

      Good day.

      • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        20 hours ago

        Your first source says that “ruminant animals contribute about 16% of the world’s total methane emissions” and that CH4 emissions lead to 28x more warming per ton than CO2.

        Your second source raises a good question about your third:

        it is crucial to remember to source and produce plants in a sustainable manner

        The environmental impacts of raising food for cattle is also left out of these studies. Over a third of global crop production goes to cattle. That’s a lot of fertile land that could be used to feed humans directly.

        What is the environmental cost to raise red algae to add to the feed? At scale, is this more than just allowing the cows to belch out the methane? What other impacts does this have on the cows overall health and digestive system?

        Methanogenesis is a natural outcome of their diet…the carbon and hydrogen they are consuming is going somewhere…so where?

        These studies always leave these questions unanswered…like the slobs that say Ammonnia -> Hydrogen will be our savior for transport…where does the ammonia come from? Producing that is not free and comes at a significant environmental and energy cost to begin with.

        Not to even get into water-in/water-out…even the much hated Almond is far more water-efficient dairy alternative (it’s big problem is trying to grow it on the desert)…while Soy and Pea milk are much, much more water efficient and more nutritious than

        And, that second article talks a bit about manure management, which itself is a big problem…a lot of the E. coli, listeria, and salmonella outbreaks are a direct result of poor manura management causing runoff into leafy-green fields. Another fault of animal agriculture that’s oft forgotten.

        So even if algae can help, the entire thing is on dire need of reform, and the costs of beef are artificially low. Like gas, they don’t account for the external costs like environmental impact. That really needs to be part of the equation. If they were priced accordingly a McDouble would be a fancy luxurious dinner. Even moreso of the workers were paid fairly.

        • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          19 hours ago

          CH4 emissions lead to 28x more warming per ton than CO2.

          over what time? because methane breaks down, unlike co2