Reduce cattle to win eco battle (From News Shopper)

Reduce cattle to win eco battle

2:51pm Monday 29th October 2007 in

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POLITICIANS and scientists agree our environment and beautiful planet are both in serious danger.

A report issued last year by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation concluded: "Farming animals is one of the top destroyers of the globe. It must be cut by half just to avoid increasing the level of damage beyond its present level."

Among other damaging aspects, the report established the billions of cattle and livestock reared globally for the meat and dairy industries produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the world's entire transport system.

We are constantly reminded we must make efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, but why, in the light of this UN report, are we not being told to reduce meat and dairy consumption?

Is it a case of politicians and the powers-that-be burying their heads in the sand while our planet's eco-systems collapse around us because of the massive profits generated by the meat and dairy industries.

Surely our beautiful world deserves better than a media and governments which ignore the obvious while failing to take effective and decisive actions.

If we truly care about our children, grandchildren, future generations and the animals which share our planet, a move to a mainly plant-based diet is essential.

For without such radical and urgent action, our world is heading for an unprecedented environmental disaster, and ultimately the extinction of human and other life-forms.

It is not good enough to tell us to turn down our heating and change to energy saving light-bulbs.

C POPE, Nurstead Road, Erith