Cattle don’t have much to do with global warming

By Lori Weddle-Schott, University of Minnesota Extension

Since the release of a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report in 2006, we’ve heard more and more about the carbon footprints and the greenhouse gases generated in livestock production. That report claims that, on a global basis, raising livestock generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in carbon dioxide equivalent than use of fossil fuels in driving cars and trucks. This story has appeared over and over again in the media.

A second study that was release by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency didn’t receive much media attention, but it should. The EPA report titled “U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks” crunched the numbers to determine that 80 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions come from the combustion of fossil fuels and only 2.3 percent from food animal production.

Although the EPA data clearly show the Food and Agriculture Organization statistics are irrelevant in the U.S., mainstream media and online sources have called for Americans to reduce meat consumption to save the planet. Beef checkoff-funded media monitoring data show that cattle and global warming was the fourth-most covered beef industry environmental story in the past 12 months. Consumers are being told they can reduce global warming by reducing the amount of meat their household consumes.

That’s undoubtedly bad news for America’s beef producers, especially when we realize that the average American consumer is only eating beef twice-a-week to start with. For most farm and ranch families, only one beef meal a week is unthinkable, but for the average consumer it’s not that big of a leap.

Research shows that that 55 percent of Americans believe global warming is occurring because of human activity, and needs immediate attention. Some consumers may be more likely to give up a steak than their SUV. It’s the responsibility of cattle producers and industry partners to ensure that they’re taking excellent care of the environment and telling the world about it.

(Lori Weddle-Schott is a beef educator with University of Minnesota Extension.)