We can Survive

Anyone who has read the Target News Flash on the UN report with regards to the detrimental effect of cows on our environment and our health and may begin to have second thoughts about the consumption of meat and dairy products, may wonder ....what then???

What about all the beef and dairy farmers?

It should not be too difficult to come up with programs to make the transition painless as well as profitable. We have done it before -of necessity- with different sectors of our economic infra structure, and we will do it in the future.

The fact that farmers would be less dependent on heavy use of fertilizer, pesticides and the pharmaceutical industry, can only be met with enthusiasm by any responsible human being, but unless we start thinking more in terms of longterm survival of our own species as well many other co-habitants on this planet, we will always come up with bandaid and other haphazard short term solutions.

The demise of , or at least starkly reduced cow herds would free up 1000's upon 1000's of acres of land that could be used for the production of switch grass, hemp and bamboo grass.

Switchgrass is highly regarded as an alternative and renewable resource for the production of fuel, while the other two are the new and far better alternatives for cotton because of its much lower pesticide and fertilizer requirements.

As most of us know, fertilizer is another user (abuser) of our fossil resources.

So if anyone would wonder if reducing greatly our cow herds, would endanger an other already endangered species, our farmers, think again. Once understood, it won't be the farmers who will be complaining, but more than likely there will be strong opposition from vested interests like Monsanto, Cargill etc. who will do anything to protect their murderous output of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified grains etc.

Using corn for fuel is one of those short term band aid solutions which does not do anything for our environment in the long term. It is highly dependent on heavy applications of fertilizer. The net result will affect our environmental networth negatively

And Then? Some Suggestions to start immediately:

Not run our cars for 10 minutes in the driveway to warm up.

Put legislation in place to make it illegal and dedicate half of the local police force to enforce it. The stiff fines could be used to subsidize alternative energy projects.

You Could cut our red meat consumption down to one or two times a week, but even better is buying your beef locally froma farmer who raises his beef naturally on grass instead of grain.

Stay away from soy burgers though. They come with a host of other problems, not in the least environmental. Among which the destruction of the Amazon rainforests.

When buying meat and other products try to buy locally.

Keep asking. Ask for organic where possible or at least grass fed beef.

A transportation tax to subsidize locally grown foods.

(a carbon tax?) The same would hold for the way in which the local stuff is grown.

Our new developments and subdivisions should be planned

in such a way that either people can get their stuff without having to use the car, or otherwise have a convenient public transportation system at hand.

Allow cars under a certain size free parking in the downtowns of our major centres.

Rip out all traffic lights wherever they can be replaced with single lane traffic circles.

It's being done in Europe. Why do we always have to be so backward?

Rip out all the four-way stops, replace with simple right right-of-way.

The savings alone from cars not having to idle at stoplights and not having to start up again from a full stop are beyond imagination.

Completely ban the use of incandescent light bulbs and within a reasonable time eliminate as well all fluorescent replacements and have all domestic, as well as industrial and commercial light sources from LED's.

Where possible and feasible no house should be without a solar hotwater heater.

No new structures should be allowed with space heating. Floor heating should be the norm

Passive solar roofs with insulated cistern storage for solar heated water.

Start building windfarms and solar roofs (photovoltaic as well as passive)

Stop the whining about the arrival of windfarms in our neighbourhoods. If they bother us, we can move. Most likely there will be assistance to aid in the move.

But honestly I doubt the windfarms are much more than a perceived problem. I have never heard anything but positive things about the hundreds I came across on a recent visit to Europe. There is no noise, vibration and they look a lot nicer than a chimneystack.