No reason to demonise farming
OPINION: New Zealand has said it is going to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by ‘a lot’ and ‘in a short time’. One of those gases is methane. Our biggest producer of methane is livestock farming.
European governments have been targeting the agriculture industry for several years. The Telegraph reports that Ireland's government may need to reduce that country's cattle herds by 200,000 cows over the next three years to meet climate targets.
According to reports seen by the Irish Independent, to meet the ambitious climate targets, the Irish government has proposed putting up EUR 600 million to pay for the culling of 65,000 cows per year over a three-year period.
The Irish government intends to have the country functioning with zero carbon emissions by 2050. In order to meet such lofty aims, 10% of all livestock in Ireland would need to be "displaced" in the years ahead.
Predictably, Irish farmers are unconvinced by the notion of a mass culling.
