tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post1355582623022700666..comments2023-09-05T02:30:20.700-06:00Comments on The BEEFMAN Bloggeth: High Protein, Low Carbon DietDaren Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11212396312958736778noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-35747853018396282912009-04-05T21:01:00.000-06:002009-04-05T21:01:00.000-06:00Thanks for your clarification, Patty. To clarify m...Thanks for your clarification, Patty. To clarify my point, the "chicken little alarmists" I refer to are the people who claim cows are causing global warming. More often than not the people spreading that misinformation are PETA and other vegan activists who want you to stop eating meat. They are not true environmentalists like you. They want you to believe that eating one less burger per week is all you need to do to save the planet. <BR/><BR/>I say that's an "easy out" for people who don't want to make the tough choices like taking public transportation or riding their bike to work!<BR/><BR/>I want to assure you that American farmers and ranchers are making tangible efforts to reduce the environemntal impact of food production by producing more with less. Unfortunately the media (the "nattering nabobs of negativism" I referred to in the original post) have very little interest in sharing the positive stories. We are trying, every day, to get this information out via websites (BeefFromPasturetoPlate.org), blogs (see links from my blog to sites like Raising the Steaks and Beef Matters), YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=hth4e5TVjBk) and traditional media (when they'll listen).<BR/><BR/>As you know, I love a good debate and am glad you are willing to listen as well as stand up for your position. We certainly agree that everyone must do their part. Reduce, reuse, recycle, as the old Schoolhouse Rock song (recently made popular again by Jack Johnson) says. That what we do in my family and that's what American farmers do every day: <BR/><BR/>Reduce -- we're making more beef with fewer inputs (water, land, feed, etc) than ever before.<BR/><BR/>Reuse -- manure is used as a natural fertilizer for crops and even makes its way into lawns and gardens right here in Denver and other big cities.<BR/><BR/>Recycle -- Every part of a beef animal is used in some way (none of it ends up in a landfill!).<BR/><BR/>Bottom-line: you can feel good about enjoying the beef you love knowing that beef producers are working hard every day to care for the land. We know that's our obligation, not an option!<BR/><BR/>DarenDaren Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212396312958736778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-8559891177078190962009-04-05T20:01:00.000-06:002009-04-05T20:01:00.000-06:00Daren --I am sorry if what I said seemed insulting...Daren --<BR/><BR/>I am sorry if what I said seemed insulting. But that was far from my intention. Here is the passage from your blog post I was trying to address:<BR/><BR/>"Low carbon diets are based on the fanciful notion that the food we eat should have little or no impact on the environment. They blame agriculture, specifically livestock, for global climate change ("climate change" is the new term being substituted for global warming by the Chicken Little alarmists who aren't sure if the globe is warming or cooling...but are certain it's changing for the worse and human activity is to blame). They say cows are causing global warming. Really?"<BR/><BR/>I have read that farmers and ranchers and agricultural leaders are taking steps to change your industry. It's discussed in the Chicago Tribune article I referenced. I just wonder why you seem to be saying that this call for change is being heralded by "chicken little alarmists?" Are the farmers and ranchers only adapting because they are reactionary? I doubt it. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps you hear criticisms of the beef industry the loudest because it's your field (no pun intended). As someone who enjoys eating meat, but is more concerned about the environment, I would welcome more information/publicity about how your industry is progressing on the environmental front. . . rather than defense of the status quo, or attacks on everyone else. My point is that every one of us must accept responsibility before real changes can occur. <BR/><BR/>Peace, my friend,<BR/><BR/>PattyPattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18064878784987488046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-37253516022251701592009-04-04T18:10:00.000-06:002009-04-04T18:10:00.000-06:00Patty -- Now who is insulting who? To suggest that...Patty -- Now who is insulting who? To suggest that farmers and ranchers are ignoring in the environment insulting to the hard working Americans who get up everyday to care for the land while all the city dwellers get in our cars and SUVs and drive to work. They are truly everyday environmentalists.<BR/><BR/>The truth is farmers and ranchers have been improving the environment for generations -- improving the soil, improving the quality of the forage, planting trees, improving practices to protect water quality like no-till farming.<BR/><BR/>Every farmer/rancher I know has the goal of leaving the land to future generations in better shape that it was given to them. If you are intersted in the facts, you can read more at BeefFromPasturetoPlate.org.Daren Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212396312958736778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-75227081642917018602009-04-04T09:32:00.000-06:002009-04-04T09:32:00.000-06:00I get your point, and I agree that farmers/rancher...I get your point, and I agree that farmers/ranchers are a major backbone of our nation, but that doesn't mean that they or anyone can ignore the environment. You can't continue to destroy the environment just because it keeps people employed in the short run. This problem is so huge that it has to be addressed from every angle. Cars, coal plants, landfills, cows, rice . . . on and on. People can only afford to have their heads buried in the sand (or manure:) for so long. The rate at which the planet is warming is so rapid we are already seeing changes that affect growing seasons, coastlines, etc. Think about the impact that has on every agricultural endeavor.<BR/><BR/>PattyPattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18064878784987488046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-70936365571273709492009-04-01T20:27:00.000-06:002009-04-01T20:27:00.000-06:00That link got cut off. The full URL is... http://w...That link got cut off. The full URL is... <BR/><BR/>http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/headline/3742Daren Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212396312958736778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-45893775137997163112009-04-01T20:24:00.000-06:002009-04-01T20:24:00.000-06:00Patty -- Your points are well-taken. I guess I fel...Patty -- Your points are well-taken. I guess I fell victim to being insulted on a daily basis by anti-meat activists who attack the hard-working Americans I am proud to work for -- the people who produce the food we eat every day -- and instead of turning the other cheek I fired back.<BR/><BR/>My points are that there is significant evidence that man-made activity has very little to do with global climate change (warming or cooling) and that solar activity is the primary driver of our planet's atmospheric issues. <BR/><BR/>And if methane actually has anything to do with whether our planet is warming or cooling, another fact you might be interested in is that the number one source of methane in the U.S. is solid waste landfills -- not rice OR cattle.<BR/><BR/>I am very familiar with the Chicago Tribune article you cite. I could go on and on about how the media reports on this issue but I don't want to get off my point :)<BR/><BR/>So here's my point: rather than taking the easy road and blaming cows for global warming, we should recognize beef producers for the everyday contributions they make in preserving the environment for future generations. These are people who get up everyday and work from sun up to sundown to improve the environment for future generations -- that's their job!<BR/><BR/>Your friend(I hope!),<BR/><BR/>Daren<BR/><BR/>P.S. I don't have a link to the UN report. Not sure if it's available online. It's a massive tome. I can link you to an article that provides a different perspective on the report than the Chicago Tribune article -- http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/headline/3742Daren Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212396312958736778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3907190223603340956.post-9889517831691257922009-03-31T22:24:00.000-06:002009-03-31T22:24:00.000-06:00Daren --Not too sure about some of the points you ...Daren --<BR/><BR/>Not too sure about some of the points you make. Are you trying to<BR/>say that the climate isn't changing or that beef production doesn't have a role in it? Whatever you are trying to say, your point(s) would be more convincing if you weren't so insulting to people who see the global situation differently than<BR/>you do. <BR/><BR/>I am open to learning new things, for example, the point about rice paddies producing such a large amount of methane. But cattle-raising does too. And both industries ARE doing a lot to try to reduce it. And they are doing it to reduce the SIGNIFICANT effect methane has on the warming of the planet ("climate change" has been adopted to deflect away from this being a weather issue -- I could get more into it but<BR/>I don't want to get off my point).<BR/><BR/>I am interested in reading the UN Study you referred to. Please provide a link the date of it or other identifiable information. In the mean time, check out<BR/>this article I found:<BR/><BR/><BR/>http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/jul/31/business/chi-cow-gas-31-jul31<BR/><BR/>Patty<BR/>(who eats mass-produced, road-killed, organic, ranch-raised and hunted meat. And tofu)Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18064878784987488046noreply@blogger.com