“IRELAND is literally belching out more greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture than any other country in the European Union. Cow burps and farts are being blamed on the Emerald Isle topping the emissions league of European nations ahead of Lithuania, Latvia and Denmark, with Britain coming a 12th out of 28 on the Eurostat list.”
When I read this report I thought as least Ireland holds the record for something in the EU. But it is not a record for which we can be proud.
The Republic is also now the fifth largest beef exporter in the world and the largest European exporter, leaving just 10 per cent of what it produces for the domestic market.
Ireland’s now booming post-recession food production sector has seen the country’s cattle population reach seven million, with milk and beef making up 70 per cent of its agricultural output, according to EU website Politico.
The Irish Government is hoping to offset emissions by planting new forests which absorb carbon dioxide from cows, with a target of 18 per cent of the country covered in trees by 2046.
Difficult EU negotiations are underway between Ireland, coal-reliant Poland and livestock-heavy Netherlands and Denmark over goals for cutting EU on greenhouse gasses outside of the Emissions Trading System between 2020 and 2030.
Some argue that Ireland should be investing in more sustainable farming methods.
“It goes back to the whole focus which emerged in 2011, that Ireland would add milk volumes rather than looking at climate-friendly or climate-smart agriculture,” said James Nix, director of the nonprofit Green Budget Europe.
“In essence, the policy makers went for more of the same without thinking ‘Oh, hang on, this will have climate consequences,” he added, speaking to Politico. But others say that because Ireland has relatively benign industrial and manufacturing sectors compared with other EU countries like Germany, it should be allowed secure emissions credits from the Commission for planting new forests.
One MEP has stated that Ireland’s current level of forestry is 10 per cent of land area, compared to an EU average of 30 per cent, so there is scope for further increased afforestation.
In 2011, the top carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters were China, the United States, the European Union, India, the Russian Federation, Japan, and Canada.
They still are the tops but Ireland tops the list for farting cows producing the most greenhouse gas in the EU –if not in the world. Come on Ireland!
Having grown up on a farm I always believed that if city folk knew of the extent that farming was subsidised there would be uproar.
We only farmed part time working during the day and our farm was essentially a hobby with around 50-60 head of cattle. My father never claimed the common agricultural subsidies out of principle, he called it a glorified dole cheque, but we had neighbours who had similar numbers of cattle as us and were getting tens of thousands in subsidies. That’s before they sold their product for (hopefully) a profit.
In the pub they often cried poverty until you pointed out that they had a new 50 grand tractor every 3-4 years…
Clearly, Joe, the bright spark who comes up with a fore-and-aft cattle emissions catalytic converter will deserve a Nobel prize. If it has an automatic conversion switch for Fermanagh’s Catholic and Protestant cows, the inventor will be a shoe-in as President of a United Ireland or even United Europe.
Indeed Father, though, there’s a serious number of them in a well subsidised field in Kildare St.