Enjoying the peanuts from one of the feeders. Have not seen it for a few weeks – welcome back !
Regards Mark
Category: Environmental
We have had the following sent through from Ana; she asks ‘what can we do ?’.
Sadly Ana, probably very little now, as this all appears to already be done and dusted according to the article. The new deal has already been done. We agree with the statement in the article:
“Animals Now said the measure would provide an economic incentive to “an industry that abuses animals.”
“To continue to give a customs exemption for the import of live calves is to give benefits to a handful of businessmen, and to transfer hundreds of millions of shekels from the public purse to the meat industry, while humanity is dealing with the climate crisis, is simply absurd,” it said.
Article:
Government deal to boost beef industry pilloried as bad for climate, public health
Agriculture minister says NIS 420 million accord will help cut prices, while rights activists say permanent customs tax exemption on import of live calves is a license for abuse
A range of activist groups on Thursday denounced a new deal between the Agriculture and Finance ministries and the Israeli Cattle Breeders’ Association to boost the beef industry.
The agreement, reached Wednesday, commits the government to investing more than NIS 420 million ($122 million) into the local beef industry over the next seven years; removing customs duties on imported beef products; turning a temporary exemption on customs duties for livestock imports — which is renewed annually — into a permanent exemption; and increasing the number of foreign workers that can enter Israel to work in the sector.
Agriculture Minister Oded Forer described the agreement as, “more good news for dealing with the high cost of living,” that would help cut the price of beef, “a product that is in increasing and constant demand from year to year,” while also supporting the cattle breeders and giving the sector certainty.
The Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians and the Israel Forum for Sustainable Nutrition, however, warned in a statement that encouraging beef consumption was bad for public health, the environment and for fighting climate change.
According to UN estimates, livestock is responsible for around 14 percent of human-generated greenhouse gases, especially methane.
“To continue to give a customs exemption for the import of live calves is to give benefits to a handful of businessmen, and to transfer hundreds of millions of shekels from the public purse to the meat industry, while humanity is dealing with the climate crisis, is simply absurd,” it said.
According to Agriculture Ministry figures, a record 856,630 calves and lambs were shipped to Israel in 2021 for fattening and slaughter, an increase of 42% over a year earlier.
Per capita, Israelis are among the highest consumers of beef in the world.
Regards Mark
https://www.timesofisrael.com/numbers-of-animals-imported-for-fattening-slaughter-up-42-last-year/
Rocky the Coyote Paces in a Tiny Cage—Act Now!
After humans mistook Rocky the baby coyote for an abandoned puppy, they captured him in nature and sent him to an animal shelter in Tennessee before he’d even opened his eyes.
From there, he was sent to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and relegated—all alone—to a small, bleak corncrib cage at the River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, Illinois. With a constant view of the forest around him, Rocky now presses his snout against the bars that imprison him.
In nature, coyotes live in packs. Studies done in Cook County show that coyote packs roam territories averaging more than 4 square miles. But at the River Trail Nature Center, Rocky languishes alone and has been observed pacing in apparent distress. This blatant disregard for his needs threatens his health, but sadly, it’s business as usual for the self-proclaimed “nature center.”
Eagles, owls, and hawks are also confined to small, barren cages there, including a kestrel and a screech owl who are kept in 4-foot-by-4-foot boxes with no room to fly and no access to sunlight, fresh air, or foliage.
But there’s hope for Rocky! The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado—which is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries—has offered to relocate him to an expansive naturalistic habitat where he could roam with other coyotes.
Keeping Rocky confined as an “educational” prop for human entertainment, when he could and should be roaming as a member of a pack, is an egregious form of speciesism—discrimination based solely on species.
Please urge Cook County officials and the River Trail Nature Center to give Rocky a chance to live at an accredited sanctuary!
Rocky the Coyote Paces in a Tiny Cage—Act Now! | PETA
Regards Mark
Around 8/6/22 we wrote to our (UK) Member of Parliament (MP) expressing our concerns over the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and animal welfare issues. We had serious concerns over the UK animal standards being lowered down to Australian levels by this deal, especially with Australia still undertaking the mulesing of sheep, using up to 16 times as many antibiotics on Australian farms compared to those being used in the UK, and of course, the continuation of live animal exports from Australia to the Middle East.
You can read our letter of concern by clicking here:
We now have a letter returned to us dated 22/6/22 from Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP; the UK Minister of State for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade.
I am publishing the letter below for everyone to read if they wish.
Today is the 24/6; and I need to inform people that yesterday, the 23rd; the British government led by Boris Johnson, suffered 2 defeats in by elections in the South West of England and also in the North.
Awful results for the Tories, but there’s something else that party’s ranks should fear (msn.com)
Will others follow Tory chairman out of the door? (msn.com)
We at WAV are non politically biased; we just fight for the better treatment and welfare of living, sentient beings. These defeats though cannot simply be dismissed as a mid term ‘thing’ that happens in politics; many see this as something deeper, possibly a reflection of a government in crisis which is doing little and expecting the ‘normal working man (and woman)’ to pick up the tab.
Animal welfare deals included in the UK – Australia FTA are a concern to us here in the UK. Australia has lower standards, the UK has better. We are keen to read in Penny’s letter that things are still moving on to deliver the (UK) Governments Manifesto commitment to end the live export of live animals for both further fattening and slaughter. We are pleased to announce that despite the Bill not reaching law yet; live animals have not been exported to any degree (when compared to the past) for many months now. The Bill is working its way through both houses of Parliament in order to become law; and as we have campaigned against this sick business for nearly 35 years, we want to see action now !
The second page of Penny’s letter declares that the UK government has “secured ground breaking provisions on animal welfare with Australia, including the first stand alone animal welfare chapter in any signed FTA”. We welcome the comprehensive partnership with Australia to progress and improve animal welfare standards. These include a joint working group who will meet regularly to provide a forum to support cooperation on animal welfare issues between the UK and Australia, which includes best practices.
We also welcome and support the UK governments and Australian efforts to stop the use of sow stalls, which were banned in the UK in 1999, 23 years ago !, and the commitments for bilateral cooperation which will see this practice also being stopped in Australia.
I will leave you to read the response to us from Penny, outing the UK government approach to animal welfare ‘move forwards’ with Australia. If we can make more efforts to stop live exports, the mulesing of live sheep, get the pigs out of sow stalls, and make differences for caged animals in Australia, then we may be on the road to further progress.
Finally, the massive government defeats in the UK yesterday sent a clear message to government that the common man and woman are not happy; and that things need to change, or else we change you by electing a different government.
So, get on and pass the (UK) animal welfare legislation to give animals a voice.
Forever hopeful ! (and continually fighting);
Regards Mark
Above – Founding family Erika, Claire and Jim, and the Animal Aid Unlimited team.
Hi all;
This arrived from Erika and the crew at AAU earlier in the week, but did not arrive through the usual inbox route. This has happened a few times now, and we are getting our computer people in next week to see if we can sort this, plus some other issues.
Apologies to Erika and the team for getting this out late.
Come on folks, dig deep and after watching the videos, we hope you will consider making a donation to further help the team with future rescues, or additionally you can support (sponsor) one of the special need animals by using this link – https://www.animalaidunlimited.org/how-to-help/sponsor-an-animal/
As with all animal advocates, we give our condolences to the family of Mithu Bai and thank her for being special and giving so much of her time to helping those less fortunate.
Mark
Dear Mark,
Ourbeauty salon for sheephas experienced a little bump up of activity with temps soaring into the 40s C (100s F). We’re careful though to leave enough fur to protect from sunburn, and these sweethearts–Barbara, Cashew, Raisin, Bailey and Bertie each love their day in the spa.
One of our recent UK volunteers, Paul, remarked that although there are sheep in so many pastures in his country, they’re often shy; they’re not used to being lovingly touched, so they usually run from you if you try to pet them. But our gentle sheep believe that only good things come from human contact and they’ll often nudge and nuzzle their way in as close as they can. Thank you for the help that enables us to give permanent home to many species of angel!
Suri was stuck in tar, now she’s surrounded in love.
Little Suri was almost lost in hardened tar covering literally every inch of her body. Saving her precious life took 10 loving hands working for hours. We don’t know how long she’d been stuck in the tar, or how she made her way into the yard where the tar had been carelessly dumped in the dirt, but she was almost unconscious from exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke. Her tail was stuck to her thighs and herlegs were stuck together. All she could move were her eyes.
Our team went to work with vegetable oil and soap to loosen up the tar so that it could be washed off. It took hours of gentle massaging to soften the tar and frequent breaks had to be given to allow her to rest and drink water by syringe. When Suri was finally freed from the grip of the tar, she nearly jumped for joy. And so did we.
Sometimes it’s not medicine that does the trick. It’s hours of work, a pinch of luck, blended in love.
Sukie took Belle’s grief and turned it to love.
Sukie is blind and had been abandoned after a road accident. After we rescued her, and she recovered from her injuries, she was on her own amongst our 100 plus cows as the only horse in hospital. She was surrounded by animals and humans, but she was clearly lonely. Sukie desperately needed another horse, because horses need horses to talk to, to groom, to play with, to take comfort from in their shared language.
In a separate incident across the city, a horse lay dying from a suspected twisted intestine. But she wasn’t alone. Her dearest companion was a little red mare, who appeared out of the blue following the ambulance at full gallop, as we transported her critically ill friend to our hospital.
Back in the hospital, we did everythingp we could to help the suffering horse, but sadly she didn’t have the strength to make it. She passed away quietly within a few hours, with her friend by her side. Her friend circled and seemed to grieve. But then, she saw Sukie.
This video is a tribute to all friends.Belle was the answer to Sukie’s prayers. And Sukie must be the answer to Belle’s in turn.
For the surprise around the corner, please donate today
Please sponsor an animal in need today:
A horrible wound, but Hopeful asked us to try…
Our rescue team must have gasped when they saw the sheer size of this street dog’s gaping neck wound. He couldn’t lift his head and he was nearly unconscious.
We rushed him to our hospital and began work to heal this complicated and horrible wound. At first, we weren’t sure he would have the strength to survive. But he wouldn’t give up hope, and neither would we.
Meet Hopeful now!
Love keeps hope alive, please donate.
After receiving oxygen, puppy bounces back in one day!
This sweetheart was hit by a car and neighbors found himcollapsed, bleeding from his nose.We were relieved to find no fractures but his breathing was labored and we worried he had internal injuries.
After receiving oxygen, soothed with rest and comfort and medicine, this littlelove-magnet has bounced back with adorable enthusiasm.
Thank you for being the reason why we can help when animals need it most.
| In loving memory |
We sorrowfully share with you that our loving member of staff,
animal caregiver Mithu Baipassed away on May 31st.
She had been a part of the Animal Aid family since 2016. We are deeply saddened, and grateful for the thousands of animals comforted by her loving spirit, and the staff and volunteers whose lives she brightened.
Her memory will be part of Animal Aid Unlimited forever.
New Hydraulic Lift Ambulance is a special gift for big cows and bulls
When a cow or bull needed rescue, it used to take 5-10 people to lift the usually panicking animal into the rescue vehicle, and the stress and risk of injury was high. Now we have 3 ambulances outfitted with hydraulic lifts, thanks to the generosity of several very special donors.
Regards Mark
One of our friends and supporters; Barbara Crane Navarro, is the founder of the Rainforest Art Project, Gold Mining Is Destroying the Amazon and Its Indigenous People. Please Support the Rainforest Art Project. – World Animals Voice
It is dangerous out there; trying to speak up for and protect the natural people of the forest.
‘Heartbroken’: family pay tribute to Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira
Colleagues call for journalist and Indigenous activist’s work to be inspiration to others
- Brazil police find two bodies in search for missing men
- The writer and the activist: how they bonded over the Amazon
Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41 went missing on 5 June, at the end of a short trip down the Itaquaí River in western Brazil. Photograph: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
The family of Dom Phillips have spoken of their heartbreak over the murder of the British journalist and the Indigenous activist Bruno Pereira as colleagues said the men’s work would be an inspiration to others.
In a statement issued on behalf of Phillips’ sister Sian, his brother Gareth, and their partners and children, the family offered their thanks to those who had taken part in the 10-day search.
The Repórter Brasil news and investigations website, with whom Phillips collaborated, blacked out the top of its front page. “Mourning”, it said. “Repórter Brasil continues to investigate violence against traditional people in the countryside, as well as against all who defend you”, it said.
Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41 went missing on 5 June, at the end of a short trip down the Itaquaí River in western Brazil.
Pereira was accompanying Phillips on a reporting trip for a book about sustainable development in the Amazon but their boat did not arrive as scheduled at Atalaia do Norte, not far from Brazil’s border with Peru.
At a press briefing late on Wednesday, the regional police chief, Eduardo Fontes, announced that one of the two men arrested in connection with the pair’s disappearance had confessed to killing them.
Philips’ siblings said in their statement that were particularly grateful for the leading efforts of the Indigenous people at a time when the local authorities were widely regarded as having taken a lethargic approach to the men’s disappearance.
With reference to the two men’s partners, Alessandra and Beatriz, the family wrote: “We are heartbroken at the confirmation that Dom and Bruno were murdered and extend our deepest sympathies to Alessandra, Beatriz and the other Brazilian family members of both men. We are grateful to all those who have taken part in the search, especially the Indigenous groups who worked tirelessly to find evidence of the attack.”
The statement went on: “In due course we will offer our perspective on the courageous lives and important work of these remarkable men but for the moment, we request that representatives of the media allow the family some peace to deal privately with what has happened to their beloved Dom.
“We thank the many people who have joined us in urging the authorities to intensify the search and those who have reached out with wards of comfort and sympathy.”
The suspect who confessed to taking part in the murder of Phillips and Pereira informed the police on Tuesday of the location of the bodies and he joined investigators to retrieve them on Wednesday.
The location, an area known as the Lago do Preguiça is 1hr 40min by boat from the river town of Atalaia do Norte and another 1.9 miles by foot into dense forest.
Phillips’ wife, Alessandra Sampaio, had issued a statement on Wednesday evening in which she spoke of her relief that the bodies had been recovered after an agonising week and a half.
“This tragic outcome puts an end to the anguish of not knowing Dom and Bruno’s whereabouts,” she wrote.
“Now we can bring them home and say goodbye with love. Today, we also begin our quest for justice. I hope that the investigations exhaust all possibilities and bring definitive answers on all relevant details as soon as possible.”
Pereira’s wife, Beatriz Matos, tweeted: “Now that Bruno’s spirits are wandering in the forest and spread among us, our strength is much greater.”
Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner said she was “deeply saddened”.
“Dom was an outstanding reporter and long-term contributor to the Guardian”, she said. “His brave and humane journalism did so much to bring the stories of Brazil and Latin America to a global audience, through the pages of the Guardian and other news organisations.
“Bruno Pereira was a renowned defender of the rights of Brazil’s Indigenous peoples and totally committed to the traditional peoples of the Amazon. At the Guardian we are so very sorry to hear this heartbreaking news and all our thoughts are with Dom and Bruno’s families and friends.”
Jonathan Watts, the Guardian’s global environment editor, said he hoped that the two men’s lives would be an inspiration to those who cared about the Amazon.
“This is a horror story that will chill anyone who is a journalist, anyone who cares about the Amazon, about Indigenous people, about our planetary life support systems,” Watts said. “But I hope it will inspire rather than deter editors and reporters, so that there is even more attention on the stories that Dom cared about.
“I really hope that the work Dom started can be continued and amplified. And that for me would be the only way something decent could come out of something so utterly monstrous.”
Pat Venditti, executive director of Greenpeace UK, praised Phillips and Pereira as “brave, passionate and determined men”.
In a statement, he said the men “were murdered while doing their vital work of shining a light on the daily threats Indigenous peoples in Brazil face as they defend their land and their rights”.
Venditti accused Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, of giving “political and moral licence for predatory activities in and around Indigenous lands”.
“The greatest tribute we can pay Bruno and Dom now is to continue their vital work until all of Brazil’s peoples and their forests are fully protected,” the Greenpeace official added. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the families of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira. Donate here in English or here in Portuguese.
Regards Mark
15/6/22.
WAV and its founder have been involved with CIWF for several decades now.
It was in the campaign fighting against the live animal export trade that CIWF CEO Phil Lymbery and Mark of WAV first met, what 35 (or more) years ago.
As someone who does not exploit animals in any way through diet, it is always difficult to give credit to organisations which do use animal flesh, or eggs etc in their production methods.
But only through awards such as those given globally by CIWF today can we encourage and better animal welfare standards by putting those who are making improvements for better welfare to be the recipients of the awards presented today. There is no way forward other than conversion to better animal welfare methods – and I hope these awards will do this.
The world is not completely vegan; nor unfortunately will it ever totally be; I think we all have to accept that whilst doing what we can to throw the bad boys out of the bus and encourage those who are doing better to improve their standards even more. That is the basis of these awards. We all want a perfectly cruelty free world, but it takes a long time to get anywhere even near this.
It is through award schemes such as this; and recognising those who are making efforts, can we move on even more and persuade them to throw more into animal welfare.
Please click here to read lots more from CIWF on the awards given today:
Compassion celebrates 2022 Award winners | Compassion in Food Business
Regards Mark
Time Out.
‘So What’ ?
Don’t you just love the girls ? – real hot – saw them live here in England several times – the Anadin ‘Brothers’. Anything but !!
More than 3,000 cows in New Mexico have been culled after toxic pollution from a nearby US military base was found to have contaminated their water source. The New Mexico Environment Department said it was helping clean up the waste and criticised the Department of Defense https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-05-19-COMMS-New-Mexico-assists-Clovis-family-dairy-farm-with-PFAS-contamination-Final.pdf?utm_term=62a70e2fdfd35b0c839354a5a495d962&utm_campaign=AnimalsFarmed&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=animalsfarmed_email for poisoning the local farm’s cows, but failing to take responsibility for the pollution.
Regards Mark
As always, with thanks to Stacey at ‘Our Compass’ for supplying this article;
Mark
USDA releases years of slaughterhouse records following lawsuit
Veterinary neglect is common to all farms visited. Animals that suffer from innumerable health problems are not treated for reasons of economic profitability. / October, 2019. Castilla la Mancha, Source Tras Los Muros
No laws can protect animals bred to be dead, why people champion regulations or laws that REQUIRE violent death, is bizarre. In slaughterhouses, where animals are violently killed after brief existences of suffering, there is NO REGULATION that can protect animals – it’s a SLAUGHTERHOUSE.
I disagree with the “transparency” term for the above reasons, same as I don’t praise CCTV in slaughterhouses: slaughterhouses are where animals go to violently die, how anyone can praise a recording of animals violently dying, is bizarre. If people are so happy to use CCTV as demonstrative of animal “protection”, what is more protective of animals than NOT KILLING ANIMALS?
Following a lawsuit, the USDA released the below records establishing the frequent torture that occurs IN ADDITION TO animal violation and suffering and violent death. It’s almost as if, despite the “humane-treatment-of-animals” mantra of anag cheerleaders, they’re admitting to the abject horrors defenseless animals are forced to endure: if killing animals is so “humane” there would be no reason to try to withhold slaughterhouse “violations”.
Veganism is the ONLY humane and the ONLY logical protection for animals. SL
USDA source links, all records below following article:
Source Sentient Media
Marking a step towards transparency in food production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has disclosed on its website records revealing the handling of farmed animals in slaughterhouses. The records, dating back to January of 2017, were made publicly available following a settlement between the federal agency and animal protection organizations Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Farm Sanctuary.
In a complaint filed in 2018, the nonprofits alleged that the USDA had violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by failing to release requested records showing its enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. These laws govern the treatment of billions of animals killed for food in the U.S. each year as well as food safety.
“This is the biggest step in improving government transparency at slaughter since the USDA began disclosing these records pursuant to [the Freedom of Information Act],” said Erin Sutherland, a staff attorney with AWI’s farmed animal program.
The release of the USDA records, despite a failed attempt by the agency to have the case dismissed, offers what AWI calls “a rare window into a heavily guarded aspect of food production.” The group believes that the proactive disclosure of animal handling records could boost transparency and safety in the U.S. food system.
While traditional FOIA requests require federal agencies to release information upon request, the process can be lengthy. “The delay associated with fulfilling these requests renders the records almost useless by the time they are received,” AWI’s farmed animal program director Dena Jones said in 2018. But according to the law, FOIA also requires federal agencies to “proactively” disclose records subject to frequent FOIA requests.
In the fiscal year 2019, the USDA received a total of 26,458 FOIA requests, the majority—77 percent—going to its Farm Production and Conservation program which includes such agencies as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service. That year, the USDA reported that it is taking steps to increase its proactive disclosures, including making FOIA information more accessible on its websites and publishing monthly APHIS FOIA logs.
The settlement brings an encouraging step. Yet there is much to be done when it comes to transparency in animal agriculture. The industry is protected by industry favoring ag-gag laws that silence investigators and whistleblowers who often provide the public’s only insight into the realities faced by animals and workers inside factory farms and slaughterhouses. Corporations also wield immense power over their supply chains, compounding the secrecy in food production and complicating the role of government oversight.
While there is a long way to go, Farm Sanctuary general counsel Emily von Klemperer said the agreement by the USDA to publicly post slaughter records constitutes “a huge victory.”
“These records routinely expose inhumane treatment of animals at slaughter facilities and are critical to our efforts to educate the public and hold the agency accountable to enforce what minimal legal protections farm[ed] animals have,” she says.
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Regards Mark and Stacey
New Zealand is to introduce a tax on sheep and cattle burps in an attempt to tackle one of the country’s largest sources of greenhouse gases. It would be the first country in the world to charge farmers for the methane emissions from the animals they keep. There were more than 36 million sheep, beef and dairy cattle in New Zealand in 2020.
New Zealand has unveiled a plan to tax sheep and cattle burps in a bid to tackle one of the country’s biggest sources of greenhouse gases.
It would make it the first nation to charge farmers for the methane emissions from the animals they keep.
New Zealand is home to just over five million people, along with around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep.
Almost half the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane.
However, agricultural emissions have previously not been included in New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme, which has been criticised by those calling for the government to do more to stop global warming.
“There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,” New Zealand’s climate change minister James Shaw said.
- Australia methane emissions hugely under-reported
- Morrisons trials gas-busting seaweed diet for cows
- Curbing methane emissions will ‘buy us time’
Under the proposal farmers will have to pay for their gas emissions from 2025.
The plan also includes incentives for farmers who reduce emissions through feed additives, while planting trees on farms could be used to offset emissions.
Andrew Hoggard – who is a dairy farmer and the national president of Federated Farmers of New Zealand – told the BBC that he broadly approved of the proposals.
“We’ve been working with the government and other organisations on this for years to get an approach that won’t shut down farming in New Zealand, so we’ve signed off on a lot of stuff we’re happy with.”
“But you know, like all of these types of agreements with many parties involved, there’s always going to be a couple of dead rats you have to swallow,” he added.
Mr Hoggard also highlighted that the fine details of the plan’s rollout have not yet been agreed.
“There are still the nuts and bolts to be hammered out, like who actually implements the scheme, so there’s still stuff to work through with the government.”
The money raised from the scheme will be invested in research, development and advisory services for farmers, the country’s environment ministry said.
Last month, New Zealand’s finance minister committed NZ$2.9bn (£1.5bn; $1.9bn) for initiatives to tackle climate change, which would be funded by an emissions trading system that taxed polluters.
Meanwhile on Thursday, investors managing $14tn of assets urged the United Nations to create a global plan to make the agriculture sector sustainable.
In a letter to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation’s director-general – which was first reported by the Reuters news agency – the FAIRR Initiative said the agency was best-placed to take the lead on creating a road-map to curb one of the biggest sources of climate damaging emissions.
Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2).
It is one of the most potent and responsible for a third of current warming from human activities. Individual methane molecules have a more powerful warming effect on the atmosphere than single CO2 molecules.
At last year’s COP26 environmental conference in Glasgow the US and the EU agreed to cut emissions of the gas by 30% by 2030. More than 100 countries, including New Zealand, have also signed up to the initiative.
How is methane emitted?
Around 40% of CH4 comes from natural sources such as wetlands but the bigger share now comes from a range of human activities, ranging from agriculture, such as cattle and rice production, to rubbish dumps.
One of the biggest sources is from the production, transport and use of natural gas and since 2008 there has been a big spike in methane emissions, which researchers believe is linked to the boom in fracking for gas in parts of the US.
In 2019, methane in the atmosphere reached record levels, around two-and-a-half times above what they were in the pre-industrial era.
What worries scientists is that methane has real muscle when it comes to heating the planet. Over a 100-year period it is 28-34 times as warming as CO2.
Over a 20-year period it is around 84 times as powerful per unit of mass as carbon dioxide.
However, there is much more CO2 than methane in the atmosphere and individual molecules of it can remain there for hundreds of years.
Climate change: New Zealand’s plan to tax cow and sheep burps – BBC News
Regards Mark
World Animals Voice 