18% of greenhouse gas is caused by cows, 82% (I therefore deduce) by humans and the solution is to kill the cows? Surely some mistake.

Our looming environmental problem is not cows farting, it's nearly seven billion people all clamouring for western standards of living, and therefore western levels of consumption and emissions. I propose instead that we kill and eat some of them and leave the cows in peace.

Posted by: Seamus McCauley | March 7, 2007 1:18 PM

If I eat meat, the animal has died. That means it's not able to contribute to environmental problems. The problem is when herds of cows are kept around to produce milk. If you're going to make this argument then you must make it in terms of giving up MILK, otherwise it's largely irrelevant.

Agriculture generally is a signifant part of mankind's contribution to our environmental problems. If you care about this then you'll need to give up dairy and grains. And, anyway, there are plenty of other more significant issues that we need to address when it comes to global warming and so forth.

So, the idea of becoming a vegetarian to protect the environment is nonsense.

Posted by: Matt Brock | March 7, 2007 1:49 PM

Some valid points there...I'll take that as a 'disagree', then ;)

Which issues, out of interest, do you think need to be addressed first? Air travel and motor fuel are obvious targets, but strictly speaking, they're not the biggest polluters if this survey is to be believed.

Posted by: Abi | March 7, 2007 1:55 PM

A reduction in meat consumption might go some way to reducing the large herds kept for slaughter and use in the meat industry, but so might more efficient and responsible use of meat products. Far too much slaughterhouse product is simply wasted. I would like to see smaller herds kept and reared, treated humanely and used responsibly. Same goes for milk - we're sitting in a milk lake, and dairy herds can certainly be reduced in scale and better farmed.

Perhaps one solution is to support ethical farming initiatives - buy Soil Association stamped goods at the supermarket, and be aware of where your produce is coming from.

Posted by: Lise | March 7, 2007 2:09 PM

I have to say that with the amount of wastage of meat in the western world I think the optimum would be to have less cows as a result of using the flesh more efficiently.

Posted by: Nikki | March 7, 2007 2:58 PM

Not having children is the best thing you can do for the environment. The developed world's population is a bit more relevant than the bovine one.

Posted by: Face | March 7, 2007 4:17 PM