It's the sort of thing you would see on propaganda passed out by animal rights activists at a global warming rally, but somehow the message has infiltrated the mainstream.
ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson" told viewers on May 13 to curb beef consumption to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
"You are staring into the face of one thing scientists say you can do to fight climate change," ABC correspondent Dan Harris said as the face of a cow filled the screen. "Leave this cow alone and eat less beef. According to the United Nations, 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions comes from sending beef and dairy products to your kitchen table."
Just assume for a moment viewers took this suggestion seriously, there could be serious consequences. The beef industry is a huge part of U.S. agriculture. According to Dan Otto and John D. Lawrence, two professors at Iowa State University, the beef industry represents $188.4 billion of direct and indirect economic activity throughout the U.S. economy.
However, Harris told viewers they didn't have to give up all their beef consumption, just some of it.
"You don't have to give up your cheeseburgers, but if we all reduced our meat consumption by just 20 percent, it would be as if we all switched from regular cars to hybrids. It would also be good for our health," Harris added.
But it's hard to imagine the job losses and the subsequent economic impact throughout the country if Americans cut back their beef consumption by as much as 20 percent. According to Otto and Lawrence, jobs related to the beef industry are a huge part of the American work force.
"Direct and indirect employment in or related to the production and processing of beef supports over 1.4 million full-time-equivalent jobs in the U.S. as well," Otto and Lawrence wrote in a paper posted on the National Cattlemen's Association's Web site. "Cattle are produced in all 50 states and their economic impact contributes to nearly every county in the nation and they are a significant economic driver in rural communities."
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Comments Policy
Anything from the UN is flawed
May 14, 2008 - 14:15 ET by c5thenGUARANTEED.
A significant % of the "greenhouse" gasses attributed to the beef industry is probably the methane that is produced by the cattle themselves before they are slaughtered. Methane is 5x more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, so the best thing to do would be to eat more beef and thus have fewer cattle.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Here's what will happen if
May 14, 2008 - 14:17 ET by Clear thinkerHere's what will happen if we continue to eat meat.......
http://www.citizensugar.com/1626527?ybf1=1
"Abstain from McCain"
"18 percent of the world's
May 14, 2008 - 16:30 ET by kg"18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions comes from sending beef and dairy products to your kitchen table."
Let me get this straight. Less beef, less gas. Now cows eat plants. Plants creat the gas. So we stop eating beef and eat plants instead. Now we will produce more gas. I would inagine in the realm of 20%, slightly higher than the beef we would have ate before the new gas we produce.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
I seriously hope you just
May 14, 2008 - 16:53 ET by CortillaenI seriously hope you just forgot a "</sarc>" there, pal. Either way, I have to laugh at "CitizenSugar". Note the title of her post, "Planning a Trip? 20 Cities Global Warming Might Melt Off Map" (emphasis mine). Now take a look at the first six items in the part of the list she copied:
Oops. Of course, playing fast and loose with the facts to start with doesn't engender much concern over getting your nouns correct.
www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi
As the story goes
May 14, 2008 - 14:19 ET by okiehawk44"18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions comes from" an AlGore speech.
"Leave this cow alone and
May 14, 2008 - 14:30 ET by Killgrave"Leave this cow alone and eat less beef."
If I leave the cow alone, then I'm not eating ANY beef. Or is he saying that I just knaw on its leg and spare the rest of the beast?
Seriously, who writes this crap? Is it to the point that they don't bother making any sense?
You know, it's time we
May 14, 2008 - 14:46 ET by fonzie2178stand up and say "enough is enough!" I'm tired of special interests and big government trying to control every facet of our lives! Now they're trying to tell me what I can and can't eat?
After reading this, I'm going to go to the meat locker and get myself another half of beef. And I'll take it home in my diesel F250.
"It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile, but it doesn't take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face."
If we stop eating beef...
May 14, 2008 - 14:51 ET by Syrius...What would happen to the beef industry and our right to a healthy piece of steak? Well, I found a story on how to recapture the undigested stuff...
http://www.thespoof....
ROTFFLMFAO!!! (h/t Noel)
Syrius
"...the dire consequences to society when people begin to believe that by
renaming someone to erase their humanity opens the door to the
devaluation of everyone's life..."-dscott
"Leave this cow alone and
May 14, 2008 - 15:16 ET by Chris Norman"Leave this cow alone and eat less beef."
I see the makings of a Chick-Fil-A ad here.
just gearing up
May 14, 2008 - 15:36 ET by candanceThe MSM knows the price of beef is about to skyrocket due to ethanol mandates and could possibly result in beef being rationed when farmers stop herding as many cattle because it's too expensive.
In preparation for this, they are starting to brainwash America that beef is bad for the environment anyway, thus making it a social blunder to order steak at restaurants.
Thus when the beef starts disappearing or is simply too outrageous for middle classers to buy, they won't feel bad about it because they've learned to live on something else.
What a lot of
May 14, 2008 - 15:44 ET by mattmWhat a lot of bull.
<grin>
You must understand how the
May 14, 2008 - 16:09 ET by mostlymoderateYou must understand how the liberal elite think. They don't want to *stop* beef consumption, they only want to make it so drastically expensive that only they and their rich elite friends can eat it.
Perhaps they'll start
May 14, 2008 - 16:19 ET by Chris NormanPerhaps they'll start traditionally, with a warning label from the Surgeon General and the EPA. Next, add a "sin tax" to it and then, ratchet it up from there...
I have a better idea: let's
May 14, 2008 - 16:16 ET by ckc1227I have a better idea: let's eradicate the termite, as termites contribute more CO2 than man. Plus think of all the houses we'd save from termite destruction.
But, even if they did almost
May 14, 2008 - 16:21 ET by Chris NormanBut, even if they did almost eradicate the termite, at some point it might be added to the Endangered Species List.
Sad but true, Chris.
May 14, 2008 - 16:26 ET by ckc1227Sad but true, Chris.
LMAO, Chris.
May 14, 2008 - 19:58 ET by R D HelmI can just see it now. Animal-rights kooks torching Orkin trucks all over America.
Soon, the hapless Orkin man will be right up their with Karl Rove and your average oil company executive as "enemies of the people."
"Save the Termite" bumper stickers will be competing for space right along with the "Save the Planet" stickers on every blue-smoke belching, clapped-out Volvo 240 on the highways and byways of America.
Paging Mr Garbus Paging Mr Martin Garbus
May 14, 2008 - 16:20 ET by lareeImus is tired of people claiming he called Gwen Ifill a Cleaning lady.
http://imustimes.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/imus-ifill-throwdown-next-time-its-garbus/
What about all of the emmisions from the farm equipment?
May 14, 2008 - 17:43 ET by NWUndergroundDid old Charlie at ABC ever consider the amount of emmisions that are generated from farm equipment used to plow fields and harvest veggies? Same for the trucks that ship them as well.
I cannot fathom going without my beef.
Vegatarianism is not an option for me.
I find it too violent and cruel.
Think of all the little poor little ground dwelling creatures (i.e. Rabbits, snakes and rodents) that are roto-tilled to death and left to rot for some Berkley libs beansprouts.
Oh, didn't you know, organic
May 14, 2008 - 18:23 ET by Chris NormanOh, didn't you know, organic bean sprouts are hand-picked by fair country maidens in gingham with the little bunny rabbits helping fill their baskets with the veggies and love. :)
Bullet between the eyes...
May 14, 2008 - 18:37 ET by VT Con Manand the beef cattle, well, they end their life in a very inhumane way.
(sarc off)
the fascist liberals will not rest until evey human lives their life as dictated by the all knowing liberal fascists. what to eat, what not to eat, where to send you undeserved earnings, how far you will be allowed to travel on vacation, what kind of vehicle you will be allowed to have, what career you will be allowed to go into...well you get the picture.
Yes, well they know far
May 14, 2008 - 19:03 ET by Chris NormanYes, well they know far better than we ignorant peasants on how we should be living. We should just let them operate the buttons and levers of life for us.
scary but
May 14, 2008 - 20:45 ET by VT Con ManI am beginning to relate to the guy with his life's belongings in a shopping cart, down by the river. He even has a water front/waterview location. Primo...
Then on the first of the month, I can push my cart up to the USPS and collect my just "reward" from Uncle Sam, or is that Uncle Obammy. ;)
Why is it I think the chicken industry is behind this lunacy?
May 14, 2008 - 18:48 ET by R D HelmI mean, it makes more sense than Charlie Gibson.
I still think it's from the
May 14, 2008 - 19:04 ET by Chris NormanI still think it's from the cows at Chick-Fil-A (see above).
We need to negotiate with cows
May 14, 2008 - 19:17 ET by nkviking75So do we negotiate a treaty with cattle? We'll stop eating them and using their milk, and they'll quit farting? No more WMD's (Weapons of Moo Destruction)? Or do we commit cattle genocide and wipe this gassy species off the face of the earth.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
We could get rid of enough
May 14, 2008 - 19:24 ET by Free StinkerWe could get rid of enough hot air if we could just get Hillary, Bill, McCain, and Obama to shut up.
Pledge to not support RINOs ever again!
Hi Free... There is no
May 14, 2008 - 19:29 ET by Clear thinkerHi Free...
There is no way they will ever shut-up.
Well, actually there is one way..... bwahahahahahahaha....
"Abstain from McCain"
Write-in Fred Thompson on
May 14, 2008 - 19:31 ET by Free StinkerWrite-in Fred Thompson on election day?
Pledge to not support RINOs ever again!
Yes, but it wasn't easy.
May 14, 2008 - 19:39 ET by Clear thinkerYes, but it wasn't easy. Fortunately, a friend was manning the polling place I was at and helped. If they had not stepped in to help me, the other poll workers (all dems) would have tried to keep me from doing so. All the while claiming complete ignorance of course.
"Abstain from McCain"
Caviat!
May 14, 2008 - 19:45 ET by FoolicanOf course, if you're carbon neutral, or you buy carbon credits, you're allowed to eat steak. Just as Gore and the rest of the UN staff are allowed to fly to the four corners of the Earth in his private jet (including the Nobel Peace Prize convention).
There's another ramification to this. If there's a reduction in cattle sales, the Democrats are going to catch a lot of flak from migrant farmworkers who depend upon every crop and livestock they sell for their money. Naturally, Gore will spin the blame on George W. Bush, who endorsed climate change in the first place.
1 volcano=1 gigafart
May 14, 2008 - 20:14 ET by nkviking75As usual the satirists at the People's Cube have nailed it.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Your source has
May 14, 2008 - 20:17 ET by NL207Your source has underestimated the power of the Volcano.
You don't have to give up
May 14, 2008 - 22:33 ET by djkYou don't have to give up your cheeseburgers, but if we all reduced our meat consumption by just 20 percent, it would be as if we all switched from regular cars to hybrids. It would also be good for our health
You know what else would be good for your health? Not getting between me and a steak!