Hunger is a monster feeding ravenously on global conflicts, geopolitical instability, poverty and human-induced climate change. It’s an exceedingly bitter pill to swallow. Climate change is a significant factor contributing to global famine. It amplifies the impacts of naturally occurring weather patterns, such as La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, which affect tropical rainfall patterns from Indonesia to the west coast of South America. This has resulted in extreme heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones and wildfires, directly leading to a food crisis in East and West Africa, Central Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. Prior to 1999, a poor rainy season in Africa occurred every five or six years. According to the International Livestock Research Institute, farmers now grapple with a lack of rain every two or three years. The Horn of Africa has been disproportionately affected. Drought in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia is the worst in at least the last 70 years. Pakistan was hit with catastrophic monsoon floods affecting 33 million people. Globally, an estimated 822 million people suffer from undernourishment, and circa 9 million die yearly of hunger and hunger-related diseases.
Human-induced climate change results from an atmospheric increase of five greenhouses gases:
1. Carbon dioxide is released through both natural processes and human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
2. Nitrous oxide is released during commercial and organic fertilizer production and use, as from the burning fossil fuels and vegetation.
3. Methane is both natural and human-caused. Natural gas is 70% to 90% methane. It comes from plant-matter breakdown in wetlands and is released from landfills, rice farming, leaks from fossil fuel production and transportation. Livestock animals emit copious amounts of methane from their digestion and manure.
4. Chlorofluorocarbons are compounds not existing in nature. They are entirely of industrial origin and used as refrigerants, solvents and spray can propellants.
5. Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas. Warming oceans increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Water vapor does not directly cause climate change. Unlike the other greenhouse gases which are always in a gaseous state, water vaporizes at higher global temperatures due to the warming generated by other greenhouse gases, thereby contributing to the phenomenon of climate change.
The number one agricultural source of atmospheric greenhouse gases which significantly contributes to global warming is cattle. Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Methane from cattle is shorter lived than carbon dioxide. However, it is 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere. In order to avert a climatic catastrophe, this environmental belching peril must be muffled. A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, including Michael Bennet of Colorado, has introduced a bill known as the Emit Less Act. It would expand research programs for feed additives/alternatives to reduce methane emissions belched by cattle. The proposed legislation includes a voluntary conservation program with incentives to make it easier for farmers to access feed generating less methane during digestion. The proposed legislation is woefully deficient in effectively stemming the rising tide of methane belching cows from drowning humanity with a scourge of malnourishment, disease and irreparable physical and neurological damage, particularly affecting infants and children.
An effective measure to reduce belched cow methane is available by adapting the protocol used to quell greenhouse gas emissions generated by gasoline burning engines. Lead-free fuel is ignited in an engine by spark plugs and discharged as a greenhouse gas laden emission into an intake pipe directly connected to the engine. The engine’s greenhouse gas contaminated emission is then filtered through a catalytic converter, causing a chemical reaction (catalysis) to break apart greenhouse gases. Once converted, the catalyzed, more environmentally friendly exhaust is discharged through a tailpipe.
A Squelch the Belch Act is imperative. As with unleaded fuel, cattle feed inducing methane loaded eructation or flatulence must be eliminated from the bovine cuisine. A membranous cattle-lytic converter could be fitted to a cow’s viscera to convert methane gas to a benign belch having the fragrance of new mown hay. Cattle should be assigned a number issued by the U.S. Department of Belching (USDOB). Emission tests should periodically be performed. Cattle failing the test must be sent to a not so OK Corral.
Ralph Josephsohn is a longtime resident of Longmont and a semi-retired attorney.
