From: alexpace@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Alex L. Pace)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals
Subject: Methane/Environment Issue
Date: 24 Jan 1993 20:52:30 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: foghorn.cc.utexas.edu


This entire issue of methane from cattle originated from a half serious
article written in the journal "Science" (or was it scientific american?)
about 5 or 6 years ago.  I know this because I have been involved in
organized competitive debate since high school and people tried to use this
as a DA scenario against growth.  The structure of UIL and NDT cross-x
debate requiress that you answer all of your opponents arguments or face
dropping the round so naturally I did a great deal of research into the
subject.  Without digging up my old briefs I can tell you this:

Global warming may or may not even exist as a result of human activity.
All living organisms exchange gasses with the atmosphere.
Worst case warming scenarios call for a 7 degree average increase.
Most predict a 2-3 degree increase over the next 2 centurys.
An increase of less than 10 degrees increases the growing season and the
  airable land and would increase the area in which multiple crops per year
  could be grown.
The average temp. of the earth changes anyway.
Carbon Dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, methane accounts for less than
  10 percent of the greenhouse scenario.
Human respiration causes a measurable increase in atmospheric CO2.
Carbon based organisms release methane when they decay or are digested.
Cattle release methane when they fart and when people eat them and fart.
Cows fart because the GRAIN in their bellies is being digested.
People fart because the food in their bellies is being digested.
People fart even more if the food in their bellies is BEANS.
Even if the grain is left to rot and is eaten by nobody it will release
  methane as it rots.
A swamp is full of rotting vegitation, and thus releases methane.
Methane levels in swamps often reach levels so high that it reaches
  combustion concentrations, we call this a foxfire.
Have you ever seen such foxfires above a cow pasture?  NO!
Have you ever heard of kids lighting their farts?  Wonder why?
When methane burns CO2 is released, just like when anything burns.
The methane/natural gas/petrol/coal/fossile feuls in the ground are all a
  result of decaying matter, mostly decaying VEGETABLE matter.


With these obersevervations we can suppose the following:

Jogging and execrise increase the human repiration process and therefore
  increase the release of Carbon Dioxide.
Exercise increases one's energy needs so that more food must be taken in
  and therefore more methane released.
Since beans are notoriously high in methane, people who eat more beans are
  worse for the environment.
Vegans, who eat more beans than average, should cut back on exercise and
  therefroe cut back on their own respiration and digestion.
Since Russ reads "cut back" as "remove completely" then all vegans should
  cease to eat and breathe and face the fact that when they decay, they will
  still release methane.


But seriously folks, the cow farting scenario quickly became a loosing
position on the debate circuit and the reason is that no matter how that
grain ends its life be it in a cow's belly, person's belly, or left to
decay, it will still release methane...no net gain.

alex the omnivore

PS by cutting down the rain forest we would have an initial surge in
   methane as the existing forest decays but we would save over the long run
   because the next generation of trees would never be born and therefore
   never die and decay for itself.  
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals