The Real Environmental Impact of the Cattle Industry

The Real Environmental Impact of the Cattle Industry

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
The Real Environmental Impact of the Cattle Industry

Recently, you have heard about the Green New Deal - which looks tackle climate change in the United States.

The bill looks at many aspects of carbon emissions. Comments from certain lawmakers in Washington DC were fairly critical of the cattle industry, but those comments look to be way off base.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the University of Cal-Davis talks about the true environmental impact of the beef industry, which he says is much less than some think.

Mitloehner warned those in agriculture to not take the Green New Deal lightly, especially since Ocasio-Cortez is reaching out to experts in agriculture.

"I take all of that very seriously. Many of my colleagues don't seem to take it very seriously, but I take it very seriously," he said. "I hear all these people talk about sustainability to farmers, okay? Now you tell me, who in the world is a greater expert in sustainability than a farmer? Who knows more about the interplay of soils and plants and animals and climate and all of that than a farmer? And who has a greater interest in the sustainability of their lands than farmers?"

Consequently, Mitloehner argues farmers should be leading the discussion on sustainability.

Meanwhile - experts say the Green New Deal has dim political prospects.

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