Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Our cows are emitting so much gas that Ireland is looking for help from the EU

The agriculture sector is looking for special treatment on new greenhouse gas targets.

EUROPE IS BEING asked to treat Ireland as a special case when negotiating new greenhouse gas targets because of the emissions that come from Ireland’s cattle.

The EU council is meeting today as it attempts to agree a new packet of  climate change targets for 2030.

Plans to cut greenhouse gases by 40%, make renewables account for 27% of energy use and set an energy savings target of 30% appear in draft guidelines for the conclusions of the summit.

But the Irish Government is set to lobby for specific recognition because of the importance of the agricultural sector to Ireland’s economy.

Ireland’s cattle livestock accounts for a disproportionately high percentage of Ireland’s greenhouses gas emission.

Globally, 10-12% of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture but in Ireland the figure is closer to a third.

Business lobby group Ibec argues that this should be taken in to account when Ireland’s 2030 targets are set.

“We cannot afford to continue to shoulder an unfair burden,” says Ibec’s Dr Neil Walker.

Ireland should only accept a 2030 target that takes account of our unique emissions profile, and allows us to offset agricultural emissions through afforestation.

The last long-term EU target for 2020 was to cut emissions by a fifth with Ireland likely to miss its commitments.

The EU now wants an agreement on new targets, among the world’s toughest, in place ahead of a summit in Paris in 2015 at which a new UN-backed global treaty on climate change will be agreed.

The situation is being made more difficult however by economic stagnation and the conflict in eastern Europe which has cast doubt over the supply of gas from Russia.

Additional reporting by © – AFP 2014 

Read: Here’s how a new app could solve the beef crisis for farmers >

Column: Make no mistake – it is time to make beef-eating taboo >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
52 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick Monks
    Favourite Patrick Monks
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 8:59 AM

    That’s gas

    124
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute aido m
    Favourite aido m
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 6:24 PM

    I smell a fart tax cumin on lol

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Hynes
    Favourite David Hynes
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 8:59 AM

    Dr Neil walker would want to a good think about this negative approach to this, he could simply embrace this target, and work towards it. Biogas plants can capture cattle slurrys methane and run CHP (combined heat and power units) or upgrade the gas into Biomethane and inject the gas into the network. I should know because the company I’m working for built 13 in the UK and 350 plants around the world

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Hynes
    Favourite David Hynes
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:10 AM

    And just to show how useless the Irish government are, Germany has 8500 plants, UK about 200… Ireland about 6.. Yet Ireland has copious amours of slurry and only 6 plants??

    97
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:20 AM

    good in theory, but wouldn’t be a cost effective in practice in Ireland. For the most part. Irish cattle are only in sheds for 6 months of the year, and farms are mainly small, so the amount of gas collected per Irish slurry tank would be pretty small. Collecting this methane would not be easy either, as most slurry tanks are designed to have the agitation point outdoors to help with ventilation when the slurry is being agitated. When you take into account the work it would take to collect biomethane from an an average farm, refine it, and add it to the gas network, the cost of producing that gas would be a lot more that what it could be sold for. In the US, where there are farms with a few thousand cattle, that are housed year round, it might could be a viable option.

    43
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:38 AM

    It might be viable in Irish pig farms, as they are housed 24/7, but only if its cost effective, otherwise its mr tax payer that will have to pay the difference.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Hynes
    Favourite David Hynes
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:36 AM

    Hi Frank,
    yes cattle are housed for about half the year, that still leaves huge amounts of slurry, also as farming becomes more intensive, zero grazing and cattle housed all year round will become more common.I am fully aware of the situation with small farms, the solution is quite simple, Large Biomethene plants located strategically around, those plants can cover the costs of upgrading and injection, smaller farms in cooperation with their neighbors can build a small biogas plants with one tank, a gasboiler, and a compressor/storage tank to store the gas, until a truck can come and collect the gas, transport it and inject the gas into the larger plant.. bord gais are proposing this and this should happen sooner than later. The whole point is to create bio-methene, inject it into the gas grid,then either houses/building or the transport industry can utilizes the gas…if frustrates me when IBEC try to get out of commitments at the same time they forget what we could do with all the gas!

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute aido m
    Favourite aido m
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 8:59 AM

    So a cows fart can kill the ozone I bet if harnessed they could power a city too .

    88
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Graham Kavanagh
    Favourite Graham Kavanagh
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:43 AM

    Greenhouse gases don’t damage the ozone layer. That’s CFCs.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Red
    Favourite Tom Red
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:11 AM

    Sparkling water could be what the cows needs to combat this problem…

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pauliebhoy
    Favourite Pauliebhoy
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 8:57 AM

    Is this not old moos?

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Glen
    Favourite Glen
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:01 AM

    Oh FFS ! They tried this in the states a few years ago a “fart” tax on cows. We are a tiny island compared to other countries in Europe who I’m sure have more cows than us.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:23 AM

    In the EU27 we have the 5th highest total population of cattle. Germany, UK, Spain and France have larger populations. Per capita we have the highest.

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:16 AM

    Correct Eoin, as far as I know, the population of Cattle, and Sheep in Ireland is greater that the population of Humans! We supply something like 70-80% of the meat we produce. Not sure of the exact figure of the top of my head

    13
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 1:10 PM

    There’s more cattle than people, leaving out sheep. About the same amount of sheep as people as well. 3 years ago there 6.5 million cattle and 4.8 million sheep, and I don’t think the numbers have fluctuated drastically since then http://www.teagasc.ie/agrifood/

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute robby rottenest
    Favourite robby rottenest
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:01 AM

    Could any potential solution be applied to The Dail also?

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Theresa Carter
    Favourite Theresa Carter
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:17 AM

    Every country has high emissions linked to their respective industry. Why must we be whinging and moaning looking for special treatment?
    So much for Endas speech at the UN on the transformative actions we must take to tackle climate change. Maybe start by planting enough trees to offset the methane. Generate power from the gas as already mentioned.
    So much for innovation. Boo hoo we can’t think outside the box long enough to tackle this challenge. Maybe the girls in kinsale can solve if for you

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:25 AM

    generating power from the gas is not a viable option in Ireland. In Germany and the US, where you have vast farms with a few thousand head of cattle, and are housed year round it may be viable, but we don’t have farms like that in Ireland. One of the main selling points of Irish beef, is that the are not housed year round, they eat grass in fields in the summer which is better for the animal and beef.

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John R
    Favourite John R
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 11:38 AM

    Theresa, what Ireland is seeking is to move from a simplistic calculation of greenhouse gases to a more comprehensive assessment in agriculture. Ireland has a natural advantage in producing meat. Cattle are out on the land for a large proportion of the year feeding on grass. In other countries cattle are kept in sheds and fed on grain. This method of production is energy intensive and carbon inefficient. It is also quite unnatural. Cattle fed on grain have higher levels of Omega 6. Cattle fed on grass (which is what nature intended) and free to graze have a higher level of Omega 3 which is healthier. If we follow what is being proposed in the EU we will have to cut our herd and import meat from abroad from cattle fed in an energy intensive fashion where the CO2 debt is not fully calculated. The argument being made by Ireland is that if the EU wants to go down this road it must take into account the full CO2 cycle. When one does so Ireland fairs well. When one takes a mere snapshot of the entire process Ireland fairs poorly. We need to look at the big picture or we are deluding ourselves. The approach by the Government is the correct one. It is also one which favours natural production of beef and other meat.

    13
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 1:43 PM

    It should be noted that the average farm size in Ireland compared to Germany is c. 33ha (Ireland) vs. 48ha (Germany). Smaller, yes, but not massively. Average farm size EU wide is 12ha. Compare that to the US where the average farm size is 180ha.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cormac Gibney
    Favourite Cormac Gibney
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:05 AM

    There were 50 million bison roaming the Great Plains farting away happily plus herds of caribou , moose, deer etc and the same on the African plains and the pampas and in Central Asia . Climate change me hole

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 1:14 PM

    There are roughly 19 billion chickens, 1.4 billion cattle and 1 billion pigs and sheep in the world currently. Far far more than at any stage in history. Not to mention that intensively farmed animals produce much more methane per head than wild populations of Bison and other grazing animals.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Trevor Mc Evoy
    Favourite Trevor Mc Evoy
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 3:39 PM

    Not correct. Grass fed cattle produce twice as much methane as cattle fed on grain or maize

    1
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 7:23 PM

    I’m not talking about grass fed vs. Intensive. I’m talking about intensive v wild bison, which is what Cormac mentioned.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maurice Frazer
    Favourite Maurice Frazer
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:32 AM

    Love to know how much gas come from the Dail?

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gráinne O'Brien
    Favourite Gráinne O'Brien
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:18 AM

    Stuff ur emissions up ur hole the eu is a drain on this country. The next hitler

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robin Tobin
    Favourite Robin Tobin
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:54 AM

    The IPCC have no proof global warming exists. They are 4% short of the dead line. No test have proven to fill that gap. Cows have been farmer for years. Ethos would have the encompass of a carbon tax related to propaganda on global warming.

    Under the sea bed on dry land ions are increase activity resulting in Earth worms depletion hence north south poles on magnetic flip which results in holes in the atmosphere shield. No global warming leave the poor cows alone.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ah Here
    Favourite Ah Here
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:59 AM

    Leaving aside the fact that you cannot write a coherent or grammatically correct sentence, you couldn’t be more factually wrong if you tried.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Avina Laaf
    Favourite Avina Laaf
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 11:06 AM

    There is ample proof that global warming exists. Its arguable how much of it is down to human activity but despite what the vested interests would have you believe there is scientific consensus that humans are responsible for at least some of it.

    11
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean J. Troy
    Favourite Sean J. Troy
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 12:25 PM

    There are far more vested interests in trying to refute the science than accept it.
    I.e big oil, big agrofirms, hard core capitalists, hard core socialists and even governments. A government that implements the real change that we need would commit political suicide. The solutions are not popular with nearly everybody in society except for the people who genuinely care and are not so self centred. It’s ironic. A lot of people who care about climate change including myself are making the decision not to have kids because of overpopulation. We want to make a better world for the kids of people who reject climate science. It’s depressing.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robin Tobin
    Favourite Robin Tobin
    Report
    Oct 24th 2014, 1:41 AM

    Ah here where is the concrete 100% proof

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean J. Troy
    Favourite Sean J. Troy
    Report
    Oct 24th 2014, 1:56 AM

    Nothing has been 100% proven outside of a few mathematical laws. Gravity as we understand it has not been proven.
    The IPCC is a body which attempts to make projections. That’s only half of the Science. The other half is trying to tear down consensus, which just hasn’t been done. Climate is too complicated a model to predict with pin point accuracy. We have a better idea of where an asteroid will be in 10,000 years then if it’ll rain tomorrow. You need to focus more on trends and ballpark figures which the IPCC has not only made a fair attempt at. But many of the predictions have been outpaced in severity. Not been better.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean J. Troy
    Favourite Sean J. Troy
    Report
    Oct 24th 2014, 1:59 AM

    I don’t actually understand most of your other points.
    About cows though, the level of agriculture has never been so intense in human history. And while there were cattle in the past, there were far less, they were far smaller in terms of consumption and any net carbon they produced was taken up in carbon sinks. Those same carbon sinks such as forests have been systematically chopped down so that we could breed more super cows. It’s a very regressive system which puts more Carbon into the atmosphere and also reduced the amount of Carbon drawn down.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute CeannComhairleDollop
    Favourite CeannComhairleDollop
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:18 AM

    I presume that includes all Td’s and ministers. Especially phil hogan and james reilly .

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute CeannComhairleDollop
    Favourite CeannComhairleDollop
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:23 AM

    Id have a fair amount of gas emissions myself. Maybe the EU should do something about that?

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Enda Curtin
    Favourite Enda Curtin
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 12:36 PM

    So come on then, Brussels; I dare ya – I double dare ya!! :D

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ah Here
    Favourite Ah Here
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:57 AM

    So we shouldn’t do our fair share to avoid environmental disaster all because we have more farting cows than other countries?

    That’s a fairly lame excuse. We have higher emissions from agriculture? Then we need to do more to reduce emissions from other areas like transport and industry. Every country has a different mix and will have to find reductions somewhere.

    We need to grow up and act like a responsible EU country. We can no longer play the ‘Poor Man of Europe’ card.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John R
    Favourite John R
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 11:43 AM

    Ah Here some good points there but I think you are being unfair. Ireland is arguing quite logically that you must take into account the CO2 costs of the entire production cycle and that the current system does not do this. Ireland is correct as it turns out.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute kevin
    Favourite kevin
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 12:05 PM

    Every country could argue that they have a particular unique case.
    China/India argue they are developing countries that need to catch up etc.
    In Ireland we need to stop whinging and find solutions.
    -We eat too much meat and rely too heavily on dairy products in our diet causing obesity etc.
    -There are gas processing solutions as earlier posters point out.
    - Part of that is a move to larger farms which is inevitable.
    -We need to reduce the amount of sheep farming.
    -Increase forestry which helps our carbon balance sheet and if done properly assists tourism.
    -Burn timber instead of coal turf and oil which are not renewable fuels.
    -expand fishing industry which produces a healthier protein with less carbon footprint.
    -switch to organic farming etc.
    Plenty of possible solutions if we have the right attitude.

    5
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 2:14 PM

    - Meat and dairy products are part of a balanced diet.
    - Its the amount of animals that causing the methane gas, not the size of the farm
    - we don’t need larger farms, as it is the average size of an irish farm is above the EU average.
    - Whats wrong with sheep farming?
    - How can forestry increase tourism?
    - so burn down our forests?
    - we cant expand fishing, we can only catch the quota the EU allows to catch.
    - Organic farms produce less meat, which will have massive effects on meat exports. It also takes land many years to be become “organic”

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John R
    Favourite John R
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 5:07 PM

    Kevin, sheep in the main graze land which is marginal and which is not suitable for crops or for forest. We may need to prevent sheep over-grazing marginal land leading to erosion but cut the number of sheep? I haven’t seen any evidence that suggests that is required. Incidentally, in many cases the land on which graze cannot be used for any other agricultural purpose. At least sheep can be sheered and can be eaten, meaning that the land has some productive use. We eat too much meat? we probably do as it turns out but the main cause of obesity is over-eating and lack of exercise. Ironically, exercise actually moderates the appetite in addition of course to improving overall health so we need to focus on core concerns and not peripheral issues. We should increase forestry but we need to be careful because pine tree plantations tend to increase water acidifcation. we could plant more deciduous trees but certain types of deciduous tree are under threat from global warming trends which will occur in the lifespan of that tree. A conundrum indeed. Increasing farm size leads to greater intensification and the erodes rural communities even further. Rural areas are for more than growing food!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eric Davies
    Favourite Eric Davies
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 12:12 PM

    never mind the cows ommisions ,its the bullsh*t coming from our politicians and europe thats our biggest problem !

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Trevor Mc Evoy
    Favourite Trevor Mc Evoy
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:30 AM

    Drop silage and use corn/maise you decrease methan emissions by about 50%

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Glen
    Favourite Glen
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:36 AM

    The issue with that is most corn is genetically modified. Cow eats the corn we eat the cow so forth and so on.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 10:11 AM

    maize costs a lot more to produce, as a fresh crop has to be planted every year.

    14
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John R
    Favourite John R
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 11:42 AM

    Correct Frank. It is astonishing how people ignore just how energy intensive grain production is. It is hugely more energy intensive than grass production. It also produces beef which is less healthy than grass fed beef. Grass fed beef have significant advantages not only in depressing CO2 production in the overall production cycle but in rearing cattle in a much more natural and healthy way.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin McDowell
    Favourite Eoin McDowell
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 1:47 PM

    Not to mention the increased use of herbicides & pesticides when intensively producing crops for livestock (necessary to feed our large livestock population), which has further environmental ramifications.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Carty
    Favourite Frank Carty
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 2:18 PM

    Exactly John, Ireland produces some of the best beef in the world. because the cattle are reared on grass, and are not in sheds 24/7 fed maize. People will complain about anything John!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Sherlock
    Favourite John Sherlock
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:19 AM

    Why worry. We now have Big Phil to take care of all these problems.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Red
    Favourite Tom Red
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 9:26 AM

    No sh@t Sherlock…..

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Doherty
    Favourite Stephen Doherty
    Report
    Nov 4th 2014, 8:33 PM

    I read that New Zealand has the same problem. they are adding a small portion of Soya to the Cows food intake as soya reduces the gas creation in the Cows stomach- less gas=less methane. I’m sure most farmers would be happy to have another source of income if they could reuse the methane from Slurry to heat their homes and sheds and reduce their power bill. Why are the IFA/teagasc not working on a scheme? Even the EU might find some grant money. Its a win-win- lower C02/higher farm income-less reliance of food sales and jobs to install and maintain them. If Co-ops can do the same for milk production and the meat buyers can work with lots of small farmers then whats to stop co-op slurry/chp plants

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colm Molloy
    Favourite Colm Molloy
    Report
    Oct 23rd 2014, 6:09 PM

    How about biodigesters, make electricity from that sh*t

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds