skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report: Another Reason for MO to Go Meatless Today

play audio
Play

Monday, October 14, 2013   

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Observing "Meatless Monday" may not only be good for your health and for animals, but a new study says it's also good for the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report reaffirms what others have claimed: that livestock production is a major contributor to climate-changing pollution.

According to Geoff Orme-Evans, public policy manager for the Humane Society International, globalization and huge factory farms are the reasons meat is cheaper and people are eating more of it. He said 70 billion land animals are raised for food every year around the globe, a number that is unprecedented.

"So, it's really a wake-up call and confirms what we already know, that the sector is a huge contributor to climate change, and we need to start figuring out what to do about it," he warned.

While the report offers some solutions to the pollution caused by livestock, Orme-Evans said there are steps individuals can take, including buying locally-produced foods and eating less meat. Giving up meat just one day a week, he added, is the equivalent for the environment of driving about 1000 fewer miles a year.

Orme-Evans said there are several ways that today's immense animal farms are impacting the environment. One major problem is that having a large number of animals on a small amount of land creates a concentrated amount of animal waste.

"There can be really bad effects to the waterways, there have been fish die-offs, and in addition, there is a climate-change effect," he specified.

He said other contributing factors to pollution are gases produced from manure storage, fertilizer production and, in some cases, deforestation to create more pasture, as well as the energy required to transport animals and meat and dairy products.

The report, "Tackling Climate Change through Livestock," is at FAO.org.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021