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Newsletter
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University research supports meat industry's image
University researchers are helping meat producers improve their public image through funded research.
In short:
- The National Pork Board funds the Real Pork Trust Consortium to counter negative perceptions of the pork industry.
- Historically, land-grant universities have partnered with the agriculture industry to boost productivity, now focusing on addressing environmental impacts while maintaining industry growth.
- Critics argue these partnerships prioritize industry profits over public and environmental health.
Key quote:
"It's sort of like increasing public trust in coal mining-based energy production, lead-based paint manufacturing, leaded fuel-dependent transportation, asbestos-dependent construction methods, or DDT-based pest control."
— Crystal Heath, veterinarian and founder of animal advocacy nonprofit Our Honor
Why this matters:
Industry-funded research at universities can bias scientific inquiries toward profit-driven goals, potentially compromising public and environmental health. While research can lead to improvements in livestock farming practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving animal welfare, and ensuring safer food products, critics argue that industry-funded research might downplay the negative impacts of meat production and promote findings that favor the sponsors.
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Credit: Arshad Pooloo/Unsplash
Plastic industry's emissions threaten global carbon limits
By mid-century, emissions from plastic production are set to triple, significantly impacting the global carbon budget, a new report suggests.
In short:
- The report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, released days before the start of the next round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty this week in Ottawa, indicates plastic production could consume one-fifth of Earth's carbon budget by 2050.
- Plastic production processes are highly dependent on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Strategies to curb plastic production growth could mitigate severe climate repercussions.
Key quote:
“If this treaty forces companies to significantly cut plastic production – by at least 12% per year by our calculations – we can still keep the world’s 1.5 degree goal alive and stem the climate impacts of plastic.”
— Neil Tangri, science and policy director at the environmental justice group Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Why this matters:
The production of plastics predominantly relies on fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, which leads to substantial carbon dioxide emissions. During the lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal, various greenhouse gases are released, including methane from landfill sites where much of the discarded plastic ends up.
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Canada's fossil fuel dilemma contrasts with climate goals, report reveals
Canada ranks with leading fossil fuel producers set to exceed oil and gas extraction limits, challenging global warming targets, a fresh analysis indicates.
Benjamin Shingler reports for the CBC.
In short:
- UN-backed study shows Canada's oil and gas output at odds with 1.5 C warming limit.
- Despite the Paris Agreement, fossil fuel production is set to double by 2030.
- Calls are intensifying for investment in clean energy and reduced fossil fuel reliance.
Key quote:
"We find that many governments are promoting fossil gas as an essential 'transition' fuel but with no apparent plans to transition away from it later."
— Ploy Achakulwisut, Stockholm Environment Institute
Why this matters:
The report highlights a stark contrast between climate aspirations and fossil fuel realities, with health and environmental stakes climbing. It's a national issue with global echoes, emphasizing the urgent need for energy policy shifts.
EHN has reported previous findings that fossil fuels represent a two-pronged attack on the health of children; reducing their use would provide significant economic and health benefits.
Question for the reader:
How should industrialized nations balance economic interests in fossil fuels with its climate commitments?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
Pixabay
Despite climate pledges, Canada and other fossil fuel producers set to scale up production
Canada is among a group of top fossil fuel-producing countries that are on pace to extract more oil and gas than would be consistent with agreed-upon targets designed to limit global warming, according to a new report released by the United Nations.
Image by Anita starzycka from Pixabay
US oil production hits all-time high, hindering efforts to combat greenhouse gases
Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein reports that United States domestic oil production has hit an all-time high, conflicting with U.S. and international actions to reduce carbon emissions.
In a nutshell:
In the first week of October, U.S. domestic oil production reached an unprecedented high of 13.2 million barrels per day, surpassing the previous record set in 2020. This surge in production contradicts work by the Biden administration and global leaders to reduce carbon emissions. While it contradicts Republican claims of a "war on American energy," the U.S. is not alone in this trend: Countries like Norway, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada also increasing fossil fuel production.
Key quote:
“Continuing to expand oil and gas production is hypocritical and not at all consistent with the global call to phase down fossil fuels,” said climate scientist Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics which helps track global actions and policies to curb climate change. “The U.S. support for expanded fossil fuel production will undermine global efforts to reduce emissions.”
The big picture:
Increased drilling and production can lead to air and water pollution, resulting in respiratory issues and other health problems for nearby communities. The extraction process can disrupt ecosystems and harm biodiversity, indirectly impacting human well-being. The release of greenhouse gases from oil and gas activities exacerbates climate change, which in turn has far-reaching health consequences, including heat-related illnesses, extreme weather events and the spread of infectious diseases.
Read the full story at the Associated Press.
Earlier this year, Ruth Greenspan Bell wrote for EHN that the Biden administration's decision to allow Arctic oil drilling at the same time it pursues the most climate-friendly agenda of any American president was met with outrage. How can this conflict in priorities be explained?
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Newsletter
Pig cooling pads and weather forecasts for cows are high-tech ways to make meat in a warming world
More than a third of the heat-trapping gases cooking the planet come from growing and raising food, but millions of cattle, pigs and other animals get to stay cool in the United States and the rest of the developed world.
Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash
Big oil quietly walks back on climate pledges as global heat records tumble
Energy firms have made record profits by increasing production of oil and gas, far from their promises of rolling back emissions.
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