Scientists have completed mapping the cow genome after six years research in 25 countries, which could lead not only to better selective breeding for milk or meat, but improvements in both cattle and human health and in finding ways to reduce the greenhouse gases cows emit.
Californian regulators have approved the world's first low-carbon fuel standard, aiming to achieve a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020 and to cut emissions by 15 million metric tons a year.
When 88 percent of species are fished beyond their maximum sustainable yield and the fleets have an overcapacity of two to three times what is required to fill quotas, then something has to change. That's the picture in Europe according to the EU's Fisheries Commission, which has launched an immediate review of the industry to try to find solutions for sustainable management.
Here's a positive emerging from the recession: less trash. Along with less air pollution from less car-miles being driven and less emissions from power plants (in the US at least) last year, the quantity of rubbish dumped to landfill in Oregon dropped by 16 percent in the last quarter of 2008 compared with 2007 - simply, it appears, because of lower consumer spending.
The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, turned out to be a bigger and more influential event than anyone had imagined. Check out this insightful photo-essay by National Geographic.
And okay, so its not strictly a headline, but having just caught up with "The Story of Stuff" I can say its absolutely the most concise most arresting animated instruction manual on the perils of "our" consumerist way of life. It should be required viewing for everyone! Check it out today!
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This is a classic case of people being lead to focus on the unimportant stuff and research institutes getting funding for super-technology to provide bogus benefits.
If you're focusing on the cow's methane output (farts and burps) then you're ignoring the bulk of the CO2 and eco footprint of milk production.
Milk production is not as wasteful as beef production, but it is very wasteful none the less. For every food unit of milk that a cow produces you need to shovel approx 5-10 food units into the front of the cow. It takes vast amounts of land, fertilizer diesel and water to grow all the food. Much of that food is raised in land that used to be rain forest (most Amazonian deforestation is linked to soy production for animal feed).
That little fart is just frosting on the footprint.
Written in April