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THE ECONOMIC CRISIS has produced one positive effect: the first fall in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 20 years.
The Environmental Protection Agency released statistics today that show our emissions fell by nearly 8 per cent last year. The industry and commercial sector dropped by a massive 20 per cent – in particular, the cement industry’s emissions fell by well over a third. Last year, The Meath Chronicle reported that Irish Cement would have to shut one of its kilns at Platin, Drogheda, because of a decline in the construction industry.
Dr Ken Macken of the EPA did however attribute some of the decrease to improvements implemented on emission-producing sectors.
Energy and transport each contribute over 20 per cent of our total emissions, but agriculture is still the major offender at 29 per cent.
However, just this week Science Daily reported on a new study that shows we should not immediately point the finger at flatulent cows, often the scape, er, goat for agricultural emissions because of the methane gas their digestive system produces.
A new study from the University of Arkansas and Michigan Technological University states that the dairy industry in the US is only responsible for about 2 per cent of the States’ total greenhouse gas emissions. The scientists measured the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk from farm to table and found that in fact, animal feed – the production of the crops that feed them – is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions.
The scientists came to this conclusion by including the carbon cost of fertiliser use, harvesting and transportation. Chemical engineering professor David Shonnard said:
We also looked at a Michigan feed mill, where grain gets combined with any of over a hundred different additives.
Saying that, the researchers still believe that other areas of dairy farming where improvements can be made include manure management and, yes, enteric methane. Or in other words, cow gas.
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Sure they are the same party. Why would he mind
@Shaun Gallagher: sure the dogs in the street knew it was happening so what is the big deal ?
@Sheila McNulty: They’re treating the Irish like dogs on the street, you mean.
@Shaun Gallagher: it was not intentional, it was stu pi di ty.
he can’t and won’t help to open it
Two of Irelands most woeful politicians. Martin thinks he’s Harris’ father.
@Marvin Dollery: u
I d vote for them and so would nearly half the population looking at way polls going
@Liam Collins: Your name is fictitious. No way someone with the “Collins” surname votes for treasonous snakes. Ye really do know how to stoop to new lows on here. Games over, son.
@Marvin Dollery: Fine Gael are descended from Michael Collin’s party!
@Sean Hayes: And they’re now doing triple backflips in their graves at the sight of this lot. Your point?
@Marvin Dollery: You clearly haven’t a clue about his surname and I’d bet you’re not even fkin Irish.
@Marvin Dollery: U really should grow up
@Ian: Go read my reply, clown. I’m as Irish as they come, and extremely proud of it along with my Irish Culture. How’d the gender essay go?
@Sean Hayes: he was long dead before fine Gael came along.
Mr Duffy the fascist was the founder of FG.
Read a feckin book ffs
Had ff and fg tds at the door.
They are very aggressive if asked any hard questions.
Walking away without any answers. What are they worried about if it’s in the bag.
Asked about Palestine, and blamed the auditor general.
Couldn’t get away quick enough.
Me thinks all is not going as well as they would have us believe.
@Colette Byrne: It sure isn’t. They’re all hacks with no morals. Kind of like Kevin Kerr and Brendan O’ Brien.
@Colette Byrne: Walking away is not aggressive- it is avoiding stupid arguments with people that can see have no intention of voting for them. They are smart politicians- why would they waste their time. That’s why they get elected
@Sean Hayes: You mean cunning and calculated. No such thing as a smart politician in this place.
@Sean Hayes: No, thats not why. He was aggressive before he walked away. Blaming ff.
And taking none of the blame, when asked about referrdums,
It was like well we won’t speak about that.
That’s not how it works.
If he wants to have a intelligent discussion at the door I’m open for that.
But he didn’t want to engage.
On any topic.
@Colette Byrne: did I say walking away aggressively, no I did not. I said his demeanor was agressive.
@Colette Byrne: Hey Colette, he was being discriminatory and chauvenistic. These clowns will stoop to anything to remain relevant. Ignore it.
@Marvin Dollery: trolls don’t bother me, but thanks.
A fundamental mistake Micheál. Fundamentally.
@Bryan: “I dont accept that “ is his go to phrase when the truth is pointed out to him.
2 stooge mugs wanting the glory.
Just the sight of either of them is sickening
@Paul Roche: In fairness, ti’s hard to beat roderick o gorman in that arena… makes my skin crawl
Such fluffy meaningless codology & ‘pretend’ arguing…… It’s akin to the multi account troll on here constantly ‘arguing’ between his many pointless juvenile accounts
@Kevvy kerrr: Kevin Kerr/Brendan O’ Brien/Setanta O’ Toole? Yeah, they have around 10 smartphones with separate accounts. It’s so obvious.
@Marvin Dollery: Claire powers, chutes & d peader are my favourites, lol
@Kevvy kerrr: Haven’t heard from D Peader in reference to Trump’s victory!
@Brian Hunt: won’t be missed!!!
@Marvin Dollery: why would they need several different phones? You do know you can have multiple accounts on the one device? Actually, you didn’t know that, that’s shows how simple your mind is.
Me’Hole Martin is congenitally incapable of telling the truth!
WTF did he ‘scoop’ that time, it was just another announcement of a possible Election date, but not the date!!!! And that nothing was reported as breaking news ffs. Same childish games they be playing for weeks, enabled by a compliant media.. Folks this is the level of our Political leaders and so called journalists in this country. National Emergencies all over the place and this lot playing silly games with their media pen-pal chums.
@Michale Kane: Whatever you think about the media just look at the level of debate on here on social media!!
@Sean Hayes: The media are worse, should be unbiased, honest be standard bearers, hold Governments to a/c etc. Instead like here in this puff-piece article about a ‘nothing’ and the many of similar type it’s like if the Gov PR debt were writing the articles.. And they wonder why people turning away from MSM.
‘ On Mature Recollection’ I jumped the Gun. Where did we hear that one before.
Ah, Mehole.
Martin tells lies. He cannot be trusted. End of.
Does anyone actually care? Just go away the lot of you.
@FlipBip: They’ll hopefully be gone after the 29th, Flipster.
LIAR
Someone had to do it! A bit silly the carry on delaying announcement.
Bring out the gimps.
Well maybe if Harris wasn’t such a ditherer who spends more time waffling and trying to sound intelligent then he wouldn’t have been beaten to it. Everyone knew it was going to be called today, so why not just say it outright. It wasn’t a secret. Harris is an inexperienced schoolboy, he has no credibility, hopefully he’ll not get re-elected.
The man with the perennial black tongue.
Two grannies for sale!
No problem
The pole on here yesterday would have been very informative if the place wasn’t riddled with multiple accounts being the same person’s. Ye just couldn’t trust the results. Shame.
@Gavin Smartr: I agree, but it’s not just the trolls, the parties have various shills operating on this site also, so your not getting a true cross section of views. Unfortunately it is the same with the poll companies, I suspect that many are influenced or bought, the Referendums proved this, as right up to the votes, it was very clear cut in the eyes of the Poll Companies, yet it wasn’t even within a whisker of margin of error. You can see it in the case of RTE, really not to be trusted in their coverage & no clear lines of separation between them & Govt. Trust is gone now, but at the end of the day, ordinary families can still decipher through the spin & lies, as they see how it affects their every day lives.
Can’t wait for a resounding FG victory :)
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