Culling the cattle

won't save the planet. "Going green" won't be achieved by culling the cattle or sheep either. If we all went vegan we wouldn't save the planet. 

The Irish government apparently wants to cull the cows so they can "meet the emissions target". I found out about this a short while ago. It was entwined with a story about how the Downunder government wants to do the same thing. It also mentions how one of the government ministers has heavily invested in a scheme to do this.

Somewhere, back in the mists of screen time, I saw a short documentary. It was made in a way which stated just facts and left you to make up your own mind. I wish I could find it again because it showed how cows were actually a benefit to the environment in which they lived. They actually increased the productivity of the land, raised the quality of the air we breathe and provided food as well. All of this was being measured by agricultural scientists as part of a serious, long term study.

Now of course it could all be wrong. It could all be a hoax...but I do not believe it was. Why? Because the land shown in the documentary really did seem to be improving. I take it that going from dull brown to green (the latter on a permanent basis) is an improvement? The immediate surrounding area was cooler in summer too.

So why do we want to cull cattle, especially cows and sheep and goats? They all provide benefits.

Human animals seem to believe they can do all this "climate change" work themselves by culling and going artificially green. I don't think they can. I think we need to work with other animals, allow them to get on with their work too. 

We once lived in a dairying district. Prior to that we had spent two years living on the edge of a desert. The contrast between the two areas could not have been greater.  Mum fought a constant battle with the red dust from the desert. The Senior Cat's white shirts (worn to school in those days) never looked as clean as Mum wanted there. A week in the new district and we could see a difference. Everything seemed so green. They were actually pumping water out of the fields into channels and sending it further on. It rained. It rained a lot.

Several years ago we went through the same area. My brother was driving. He slowed the car. 

"Let's just have a look," he said and turned the car on to a road we had known well. 

There were more houses there. We had expected that. There was also much less green. The fields seemed dry. There was no evidence of water being pumped out. It had not been a drought year. My brother stopped the car and we got out to have a look. A local car went past, slowed and came back. They were checking to see we were not in trouble. Then recognition came to Brother Cat. It was an old school mate. We chatted for a bit and asked about the change. 

He shook his head. "We had to change the way we do things. It's this climate change business. We get told what to do now. The boffins reckon they have it right but I reckon they should be listening to the cows."

I reckon he might be right.