dairy
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Credit: Michael Starkie/Unsplash
Meat and dairy industry's lobbying delays EU climate policies
Intense lobbying by the meat and dairy industry has significantly hindered EU climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, according to a recent report.
In short:
- The report by InfluenceMap reveals that since 2020, the meat and dairy industry has successfully weakened six major EU climate policies.
- Industry associations and companies like Cargill and Arla have downplayed agriculture's climate impact and emphasized livestock's economic importance.
- The analysis indicates these tactics are similar to those used by the fossil fuel industry to resist climate regulations.
Key quote:
"Following obstructive behaviour from the industry, and the infiltration of industry narratives in the EU Parliament and EU Commission, policies that are fundamental to reducing GHG emissions in line with scientific advice have been significantly weakened or have stalled."
— Venetia Roxburgh, EU program lead at InfluenceMap
Why this matters:
The stalling of climate policies by the meat and dairy industry jeopardizes efforts to meet global temperature targets. Without strict regulations, agricultural emissions in Europe are unlikely to decrease sufficiently to align with scientific recommendations.
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Credit: Austin Santaniello/Unsplash
California's dairy biogas market faces a critical juncture
In California, a contentious debate emerges over the state's dairy biogas market, as environmental concerns clash with industry incentives.
In short:
- California's dairy biogas program, incentivizing natural gas production from manure, faces scrutiny over environmental impacts and subsidies.
- Residents living near dairies express concerns about pollution and health impacts, challenging the program's alignment with climate goals.
- State regulators are considering changes to the program amid debates on balancing economic benefits with environmental justice.
Key quote:
"We cannot be using our own taxpayer money to injure us, impact our health, our environment, our land, our property — we can’t even be outdoors during the summer."
— Patricia Ramos-Anderson, resident of Santa Nella, California
VisitEHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.
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Credit: mulderphoto/Big Stock Photo
The climate summit starts to crack a tough nut: Emissions from food
A road map to trim the climate footprint of food shows how hard it is to feed the world on a hotter planet.
Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash
Being vegetarian might be partly in your genes
Eating plant-based is good for the environment. But it might be easier for some people than others.
Photo by Stijn te Strake on Unsplash
These manure digesters incorporate food scraps. Does that make them better?
The technology allows small and mid-sized dairy operations to lower their carbon footprints, earn extra money, and create organic fertilizers for farm use, though many worry about the PFAS contamination in food waste.
Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Pennsylvania dairy farmers can get grant money to reduce methane
A team at Penn State received a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study reduction in dairy farm methane emissions by using what the agency calls “climate-smart” practices.
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Milk, cheese and ice cream without the cow has entered the marketplace
Labs have created exact molecular replicas of cow dairy. Some are already on shelves and being hailed as a way to reduce harm to cows and cut down dairy’s huge contribution to climate change.
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