Carbon 'cost' of Kiwi lamb calculated NZPA .. 06/04/2010
MARION VAN DIJK The "carbon footprint" for New Zealand lamb eaten in Britain has been worked out.
A 100gm serving of New Zealand lamb consumed in Britain carries a carbon "cost" equivalent to nearly 2kg of carbon dioxide, new research shows.
The "carbon footprint" for New Zealand lamb eaten in Britain has been estimated as equivalent to 1.9kg of carbon dioxide, for each 100gm serving of lamb - 80 percent of that generated by farmers and their livestock on-farm.
Just 3 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions came from processing, and 5 percent from transport, with the remaining 12 percent down to retailers and consumers.
The New Zealand study by AgResearch and released today by meat companies, is the first published carbon footprint to cover the entire life cycle from farm, through to cooking and eating the meat, and the disposal of waste and sewage.
Meat Industry Association chairman Bill Falconer said today it would be hard to assess how carbon emissions for New Zealand lamb compared with overseas products, until there was a globally-agreed methodology for "footprinting".
"It is hard to assess how New Zealand's footprint compares," he said.
"We're not aware of overseas studies with a comparable scope or level of detail in the methodology."
But the industry was confident that low-input and efficient farming, in a temperate climate and using a high proportion of renewable energy meant New Zealand lamb compared favourably in its emissions performance on-farm.
"It is likely that the small proportion of the footprint contributed by transport and processing costs...will also compare well."
Mr Falconer said the overall breakdown of the carbon footprint for NZ lamb, and the high proportion of emissions on-farm were "in line with expectations". Ruminant livestock such as sheep "burp" large amounts of methane, and release nitrous oxide through their wastes.
The lamb industry now had a science-based benchmark to measure further progress.
"We want to use this study as a platform from which to move forward and improve the footprint from the farm, through processing and in transport.
"The biggest opportunity to reduce the lamb footprint is on-farm, and there is already considerable investment into research in that area."
In comparison with pre-Kyoto Protocol farming, the sheep industry was already producing more meat from less pasture, with lower emissions. Though NZ farms produced slightly more lamb than in 2003, the national sheep flock was 43 percent smaller, and this had reduced the carbon footprint of lamb by more than 20 percent.
Research was underway into livestock emissions, better energy use in meat processing through improved waste-water treatment, and use of biofuels.
Meat exporters were also working with individual shipping lines to identify ways to carbon footprint of oceanic freight.
NZ opens centre to tackle agriculture emissions 03 Mar 2010 Reuters
WELLINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - New Zealand has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars on research to reduce emissions from agriculture, the first step from a global alliance which has been established to target reductions in the sector.
Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gases that scientists blame for heating up the planet and about half of New Zealand's emissions come from this sector, a higher proportion than any other developed country.
A centre combining private and public sector science bodies was opened on Wednesday to drive research into cutting agricultural emissions, such as methane and nitrous oxide, both far more powerful greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide.
"This centre will support New Zealand in taking a significant leap forward in meeting the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture while increasing productivity," Agriculture Minister David Carter said in a statement.
"New Zealand must meet its international commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and it must support farmers and growers to achieve this through new technologies," Carter added.
The primary sector, which includes agriculture, forestry, wine growing and horticulture, accounts for about half of New Zealand's exports, with diary by far the largest contributor. New Zealand's largest company is dairy co-operative Fonterra, which generates about 7 percent of GDP. Methane, produced in the digestive tracts of sheep, cows and goats, is a major byproduct of dairy farming. Nitrous oxide is produced mainly from the use of nitrogen fertilisers.
The research centre is the first step to tackle agricultural emissions research from the 20-country Global Research Alliance formed during the Copenhagen climate change talks, the government said.
The government has pledged to spend NZ$50 million ($35 million) over the next five years to fund the centre.
The country will also host the first meeting of the alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Australia, India, France and Germany, in April.
The government has a target of cutting national emissions by between 10 and 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, primarily through a cap-and-trade based emissions trading scheme.
For more on climate change in New Zealand and Australia, click on [ID:nCARBONAU]
On Dec. 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would spend $130 million over the next four years on research into curbing emissions from agriculture. ($1 = NZ$1.43) (Reporting by Adrian Bathgate; Editing by David Fogarty) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE6210LM.htm
Australian scientists hope to breed burp-less sheep to help tackle climate change By Jorja Orreal The Courier-Mail January 18, 2010
It's no gas - scientists are trying to develop burp-less sheep to help tackle climate change.
AUSTRALIAN scientists are hoping to breed burp-less sheep in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The agriculture sector is the nation's second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions behind the energy sector, producing about 16 per cent of Australia's total emissions, the Courier-Mail reports.
Two-thirds of that figure is produced by livestock, and 66 per cent of those emissions are released as methane from the guts of grazing livestock such as sheep and cattle.
The Sheep Co-operative Research Centre is conducting a world-first study into about 700 sheep with 20 different genetic lines – each is fed, then shepherded into a booth where scientists measure their burp outputs.
One study leader, Dr Roger Hegarty, said sheep burped large amounts of methane and there was environmental pressure to see whether that could be minimised.
"We're looking into how to reduce emissions from sheep – all over Australia teams are testing different approaches: changing the microbes in the gut, changing their diet, or changing the genetics of the animal," he said.
"Our sheep studies are (primarily) aiming to find out if there is genetic control over methane production and, if so, is that a good thing to pursue?"
Dr Hegarty said researchers were wary not to produce other problems in their bid to reduce the animal's carbon footprint.
"Methane is the exhaust from livestock, and – just as you can't put your hand over the exhaust pipe of a car and expect it to keep running – we're treading carefully to reduce emissions without causing other problems.
"There really is a global effort on this – it will take a lot of hard yakka and time."
Other study leader, Dr John Goopy of the NSW Department of Industry and Innovation, said if a 10 per cent reduction could be achieved per animal it would be a good thing.
"Once we work out how to reduce methane emissions, and if our strategies prove to be valid, we will keep gaining advantage and over time there will be larger decreases in methane emissions," he said.
Coalition, world inaction caused ETS delay: Rudd By online political correspondent Emma Rodgers Updated 1 hour 42 minutes ago
Mr Rudd has confirmed the emissions trading scheme has been shelved until at least 2013. (AAP Image: Dean Lewins)
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he has been forced to put his emissions trading scheme (ETS) on ice because of the Coalition's opposition and the slow pace of international climate change action.
Mr Rudd has confirmed the ETS has been shelved until at least 2013 so the Government can consider what the rest of the world will do beyond the expiration of the Kyoto protocol.
He says the Government remains committed to implementing the scheme but the Opposition's refusal to back it and the lack of international progress in the wake of the Copenhagen talks meant it had to be delayed.
"The Liberal Party have executed a complete backflip in their historical position in support of an ETS," he said.
"The rest of the world is being slower to act on appropriate action on climate change.
"It's very plain that the correct course of action is to extend the implementation date."
Mr Rudd has in the past described climate change as a "great moral challenge of our generation" and said action could not be delayed.
The Opposition's about-face on the ETS after Tony Abbott took on the Liberal leadership last year dashed the Government's hope of passing the legislation after Mr Abbott ditched support for an amended scheme negotiated by his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull.
The Greens also refuse to support the bill because they say it gives too many concessions to industry and its emissions reduction targets are too weak.
When asked if the Government would consider negotiating with the Greens, Mr Rudd replied: "Our doors have always remained open to negotiations with people from all sides of politics.
"But when you have one side of politics saying that you cannot act on climate change through an ETS and another side that would happily close the economy down tomorrow, it makes life a bit of a challenge."
The scheme has now been removed from the upcoming budget papers and its delay means the Government could save $2.5 billion over the next three years because it will not have to pay for household and industry compensation.
The legislation had been a key piece of the Government's first-term legislative agenda but it is unlikely to be used as the trigger for a double dissolution election.
Mr Abbott, meanwhile, has accused the Government of lacking credibility.
"It seems the Government has dropped its policy to deal with climate change, namely an ETS, because it is frightened the public think that this really is just a great big new tax on everything," he said.
"He's [Kevin Rudd] running away from it because he seems scared."
Greens Leader Bob Brown says the Government's actions are "disgraceful".
"It seems the Government is dropping all the values issues," he said.
"It seems unable to be able to carry through with proposals which were at the heart of its approach to the last election."
Former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull says Tony Abbott's decision last year to ditch Coalition support for an emissions trading scheme (ETS) was motivated by politics, not policy.
Mr Abbott took the Liberal leadership from Mr Turnbull last December after arguing that the Opposition should drop Mr Turnbull's position to support the Government's emissions trading laws with negotiated amendments.
Mr Turnbull has taken a swipe at his leader's decision to do so in tonight's Four Corners program, which examines Mr Abbott's rise to the top of the Liberal Party.
The program speaks to several people from Mr Abbott's past, including teachers and friends who knew him at school and university.
Last year the Liberals were bitterly divided over an emissions trading position, with Mr Turnbull arguing that the party would have no credibility with voters if it did not take action on climate change.
The issue came to a head with Mr Turnbull losing a leadership spill by one vote to Mr Abbott, who contested the leadership in protest against Mr Turnbull's position.
"I think it was entirely political in Tony's case," Mr Turnbull tells Four Corners.
"The real issue for me is the policy. I'm a member of Parliament to make Australia a safer and a better place for Australians today and for Australians in generations to come.
"We cannot do that without having an effective policy on climate change."
After the leadership spill, Mr Turnbull criticised Mr Abbott's position as "bullshit". Mr Abbott later announced that the Coalition would combat climate change through direct action measures.
Mr Turnbull says there is no doubt that under Mr Abbott the Liberal party will become more right-wing and conservative than it was when he was leader.
'In with a chance'
But the possible slide to the right under Mr Abbott does not worry former prime minister John Howard.
He has told Four Corners the Coalition is now "in with a chance" to win the election, likely to be held later this year, with Mr Abbott at the helm.
"Tony has altered the political scene, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"There's no disrespect to anybody else, but if you don't recognise that you don't recognise anything about Australian politics."
Mr Howard describes Mr Abbott as an "authentic" person, but former Liberal leader John Hewson has questioned what he is authentic to.
"To himself? To opportunity?" he said.
Mr Abbott was Dr Hewson's press secretary when Dr Hewson was leader in the early 1990s.
Dr Hewson has described him as one of the most interesting and frustrating people he has ever met, who is also very cunning.
"He gets right in your face. He exaggerates. He grabs the headlines, even if he knows that the next day he's going to have to back that off," he said.
An example of this, Dr Hewson says, is Mr Abbott's recent claim that the Government's decision to slash $250 million from commercial TV licence fees as an "election year bribe".
"The word bribe appears, it gets the headline, it creates all the atmosphere. Next day he doesn't actually repeat that, he just says it doesn't look good, it's gone. And he's he's played that role out," he said.
Mr Abbott has been campaigning hard around the country this year ahead of the election.
Last week he surprised women's groups, the Government and his own party by announcing at 26-week paid maternity leave plan to be funded by a levy on big business.
And last month his comments that some people are homeless "by choice" drew criticism from welfare groups.
When asked by Four Corners if he is still committed to halving homelessness by 2020 Mr Abbott replies: "I'd like to see homelessness reduced to zero if possible, but I think it's very unlikely that in this vale of tears that's ever likely to be achieved." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883903.htm
Politics trumps action on climate change. Disappointment, but not not surprised.
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