less meat, less heat - animal agriculture and global warming

Submitted by incoming on Fri, 2011-12-02 13:08

HSIHSI

The Humane Society International is pressing policymakers to address animal agriculture’s role in global warming during the UN conferences in Durban.

COP17, the United Nations’ climate change conference, opened this week with hopes for a global agreement that will stave off the most dangerous impacts of climate change.

Given animal agriculture’s significant contributions to the climate crisis (see this report), the Humane Society International believes that conference outcomes should include policies to reduce the animal agriculture sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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In addition to working directly with countries’ climate negotiators to advocate for policies in the agricultural sector that simultaneously protect the environment, improve animal welfare, and ensure food security, HSI and its partners will host a series of workshops and presentations for COP 17 participants, including those on animal agriculture’s contribution to the problems of climate change.

Given the critical importance of food and water security on the African continent, there is heightened pressure for countries at this COP to agree on policy options to help agricultural systems adapt to the changing climate, while reducing this sector’s contribution to the problem.

According to Geoff Evans, head of HSI’s delegation, the organisation will specifically be working to achieve a work program on agriculture within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “This will allow environmental, animal protection, rural development, and other social justice groups to have a greater voice in climate and agricultural policy at local, national and international levels,” he explained.

factory-farming creates zones of bacterial hyper-activityfactory-farming creates zones of bacterial hyper-activity

HSI recently joined the US Climate Action Network, the largest American network of organizations focused on climate change, in addition to Climate Action Network International, a worldwide network of more than 700 non-governmental organizations from more than 90 countries.

For more information and research on animal agriculture’s impacts on the climate, please visit Humane Society International Individuals don’t have to wait for policymakers to act! Everyone can reduce their contribution to climate change by reducing their consumption of meat, eggs and milk.