British Farmers Accuse News Media Of Climate Alarmism
By bennypeiser.
National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters has accused the British media of “inflating” the findings of a report by published this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The IPCC report on land use across the world and its impact on the climate concluded that better land management and dietary changes were needed.
However, NFU president Minette Batters said it was “frustrating” that some media outlets had inferred this meant the panel was recommending meat to be cut out altogether.
“Having gone through the report in detail, it is clear that the IPCC recognises the important role animal products play in a balanced diet,” Batters said.
When produced sustainably in low greenhouse gas emission systems, these are actually part of the solution to climate change.
“It is therefore incredibly frustrating to see this inflated within some part of the media to recommend a reduction of meat consumption in the UK.
“I take this opportunity to reiterate that our aspiration to become net-zero – reducing our greenhouse gas footprint and offsetting emissions – by 2040 does not mean downsizing agricultural production.
This would only export our production to countries which may not have the same standards of environmental protection.
“Our plan for achieving our net-zero goal is focused on making the most of our natural resources.
Full story here.
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Bjorn Lomborg takes down the report:
“Vegetarianism as Climate Virtue Signaling: First World solipsism misses the point of a new U.N. report.” By Bjorn Lomborg on Aug. 8, 2019
https://www.wsj.com/articles/vegetarianism-as-climate-virtue-signaling-11565301932
Excerpts:
pundits are fixating on the supposed need for people in rich countries to change their dining habits radically. This is an ineffective and unachievable policy response. It relies on a 2016 paper that finds if the entire world switched to a vegan diet, giving up dairy and eggs as well as meat—what the U.N. calls the “most extreme scenario”—food-related greenhouse-gas emissions could be cut by up to 70%. This sounds more impressive than it is: Only a seventh of all emissions are food-related. Besides, the estimate also assumes that “people consume just enough calories to maintain a healthy body weight.”
Rather than false hopes about dietary change, the focus should be on improving agricultural practices. First, organic food is bad for sustainability. A 2017 paper found organic farming takes 70% more land on average to produce the same amount of produce as conventional methods.
Second, agricultural yields must increase. The Green Revolution of the 1970s spread fertilizers and modern practices, making a lasting difference in Asia and South America. A second Green Revolution is needed to make agriculture even more efficient.
This means more spending on agricultural research and development … Copenhagen Consensus research estimates that increasing research spending by $8 billion a year would increase crop yields annually by an additional 0.4%. … it would improve food security, reduce prices, and achieve social good worth more than $30 for every dollar invested.
Focusing only on vegetarianism is more about virtue signaling than improving the food system. Instead of shaming people for eating hamburgers, let’s ramp up agricultural R&D.
Good comments by Bjorn Lomborg.
I further suggest that more research should be devoted to frost-resistant crops, because I predicted (in 2002) that climate is about to get colder. While the average temperature may not drop much, the advent of early killer frosts will have a significant negative impact on global crop yields.
We experienced this global cooling from ~1945 to 1977, even as fossil fuel combustion accelerated, and grain crop failures were much more common, especially in Russia.
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/21/business/soviet-grain-crop-one-more-failure.html
Don’t need more R & D!
Need more education and incentive schemes for farmers to change practices.
Need strict monitoring of schemes to ensure corruption doesn’t take the money first.
Improving/changing traditional methods will do much more at less cost.
Lomborg is your typical academic with minimal practical knowledge.
Warren – your comments need to be supported by facts – your opinions are completely unsupported.
Re Lomborg – he is dead wrong about his stated belief in global warming alarmism – but after that he makes practical and economic sense – saying that there are much more pressing problems to spend our money on now.
Do you really want to significantly reduce energy waste and society’s carbon footprint?
Then downsize governments to one-fifth of their current uber-bloated levels.
It is now obvious to every sensible person that governments have intruded into every aspect of society, and ~every time they have done so they have caused much more harm than good.
Most politicians are uneducated dolts, and so are their civil servants. All they do well is make their departments more and more bloated and inefficient, and increase the cost of everything they touch – because that is in their self-interest..
I suggest that we could reduce the cost of living by ~half if we just put these government clowns on the shelf – and leave them there.
“This would only export our production to countries which may not have the same standards of environmental protection.”
Change that to “not have the same substandard, agenda science powered by advocacy groups and politicos.”
Has anyone seen this published Chinese story on Global Cooling and climate change over the last 4,000 years?
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3022136/china-scientists-warn-global-cooling-trick-natures-sleeve
Do we have to exterminate wild ruminants or do they produce “good” methane?
“Do we have to exterminate wild ruminants?”
There is no sacrifice too great to allow the glitteratti to indulge themselves in their private jets and their $400 million dollar yachts.
We must be even-handed – we cannot play favorites.
Rhinos, giraffes, herds of elephants, antelope and buffalo – they all fart and they all gotta go!
National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters has accused the British media of “inflating” the findings of a report by published this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). –>
National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters has accused the British media of “inflating” the findings of a report published this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).