I will show below that this in fact, is false.
I am hugely frustrated that organisations purporting to represent farmers have bought into this narrative and likewise the politicians who are supposedly in “Opposition”.
Instead of standing on the truth and categorically rejecting the premise they have meekly acquiesced and followed the government line, suggesting modifications and slowdowns.
Instead of standing on the truth and categorically rejecting the premise they have meekly acquiesced and followed the government line, suggesting modifications and slowdowns.
Jacinda Adern promised that a Labour government under her leadership will make farmers pay their fair share.
However, she fails to define this share. When defining that fair share the figure that needs to be used is not the quantum of the emissions, rather the net emissions after accounting for uptake.
Ask the critical question, where do cattle get their emissions from, and a totally different picture arises.
Before anyone challenges my premise, they must find the answer to that question: Where do the cattle get their emissions from?
When looking at that question an overriding fact must be considered. The law of thermodynamics states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Modified, yes, created or destroyed, no.
Livestock do not create gasses.
Pasture growing rapidly draws large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the same way as a forest does and yet those proposing a tax on farmers for livestock emissions do not take this into account.
Ruminant livestock get the emitted gasses from what they eat, they don’t create them.
In New Zealand in the main that is pasture. CO2 is drawn from the atmosphere by growing pasture through photosynthesis. The same applies to any plant-based fodder.
Photosynthesis which uses carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to generate plant growth is part of what is known as the carbon cycle and it is closed.
What is drawn from the atmosphere is returned to the atmosphere, modified, and reduced by that which is sequestered. Some directly by the passing of gas from the ruminant, some indirectly from the by-products of the energy produced by consumers of the food.
The three events that occur during the process of photosynthesis are:
However, she fails to define this share. When defining that fair share the figure that needs to be used is not the quantum of the emissions, rather the net emissions after accounting for uptake.
Ask the critical question, where do cattle get their emissions from, and a totally different picture arises.
Before anyone challenges my premise, they must find the answer to that question: Where do the cattle get their emissions from?
When looking at that question an overriding fact must be considered. The law of thermodynamics states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Modified, yes, created or destroyed, no.
Livestock do not create gasses.
Pasture growing rapidly draws large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the same way as a forest does and yet those proposing a tax on farmers for livestock emissions do not take this into account.
Ruminant livestock get the emitted gasses from what they eat, they don’t create them.
In New Zealand in the main that is pasture. CO2 is drawn from the atmosphere by growing pasture through photosynthesis. The same applies to any plant-based fodder.
Photosynthesis which uses carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to generate plant growth is part of what is known as the carbon cycle and it is closed.
What is drawn from the atmosphere is returned to the atmosphere, modified, and reduced by that which is sequestered. Some directly by the passing of gas from the ruminant, some indirectly from the by-products of the energy produced by consumers of the food.
The three events that occur during the process of photosynthesis are:
(i) Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll.
(ii) Conversion of light energy to chemical energy and splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
(iii) Reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates.
Livestock consume those carbohydrates and convert them into energy represented by growth, activity, meat and milk production and reproduction. In that process surplus CO2 and methane gasses are emitted and returned to where they came from, the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide returned becomes available for entering the carbon cycle immediately, methane over a period is converted back to water and carbon dioxide and is reused.
However not all the CO2 is returned. Some is sequestered in the soil from absorbed livestock droppings, some is sequestered in the soil from absorbed pasture residue. Some is retained long term in the bones and hides that are not converted into gasses. A lot is retained in the food that we eat and in our bodies.
So the net effect of livestock on the level of gasses containing carbon in the atmosphere is zero, although in fact it is less than zero.
No gasses containing carbon returning to the atmosphere have not first come from there.
The burning of fossil fuels is a different and separate issue. But when comparing them with the volume of gasses emitted by volcanic eruptions that occur around the world every year the fossil fuel emissions are miniscule.
However, no plant could grow without carbon dioxide so no life could exist without carbon dioxide. Far from being the poison it is being promoted as; Carbon Dioxide is the basis of all life.
The quantum of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in the order of 0.04 of one percent of total gasses or 350 to 400 parts per million, varying by season and region.
Greenhouse operators dose the atmosphere in the green house with carbon dioxide to enhance plant growth. Incremental increases in growth rates have been measured up to 1000 parts per million of CO2. Scientists in New Zealand have identified increased pasture growth up to 475 parts per million. Higher levels were not included but we could expect a similar effect as in the greenhouses.
Scientists quoted below:
Applied Plant Research: “The ideal C02 value is approximately 1000 ppm. In spring and summer, it is beneficial for the plant to have as high a level as possible (but not above 1000 ppm). “
NZ ag research study over 15 years: “In terms of the direct effects of CO2 elevated to 475 ppm, increases in primary production occurred.”
From the above we see that scientists have identified that increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere results in an increase in all plant growth. Significantly this includes all plants linked to the production of food.
Set aside pre-programmed (mis) conceptions and we can understand that increased CO2 in the atmosphere is helping to feed the world’s burgeoning population. However, as I have shown those increases do NOT come from livestock
Finally consider the composition of the atmosphere. Nitrogen accounts for 78% of the atmosphere, oxygen 21% and argon 0.9%. (total 99.9%)
Gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides methane, and ozone are trace gases that in combination account for about a tenth of one percent of the atmosphere.
The carbon cycle must be taken into account before applying utterly unjustified punitive taxes on farmers. When properly calculated this will show that the nett effect of livestock on greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is in fact less than zero.
Therefore, any tax on emissions from livestock has no basis in science.
No Gas emitted by livestock has not first come directly from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
Jacinda Ardern and James Shaw must be made to recognise these facts and stop the utterly unjustified tax on livestock. And our farming organisations must stop following the false narrative and come together and demand this.
Danny Simms has a background in farming and business, and is an active member of his Northland community. This article was originally published HERE, 12 June 2022
Livestock consume those carbohydrates and convert them into energy represented by growth, activity, meat and milk production and reproduction. In that process surplus CO2 and methane gasses are emitted and returned to where they came from, the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide returned becomes available for entering the carbon cycle immediately, methane over a period is converted back to water and carbon dioxide and is reused.
However not all the CO2 is returned. Some is sequestered in the soil from absorbed livestock droppings, some is sequestered in the soil from absorbed pasture residue. Some is retained long term in the bones and hides that are not converted into gasses. A lot is retained in the food that we eat and in our bodies.
So the net effect of livestock on the level of gasses containing carbon in the atmosphere is zero, although in fact it is less than zero.
No gasses containing carbon returning to the atmosphere have not first come from there.
The burning of fossil fuels is a different and separate issue. But when comparing them with the volume of gasses emitted by volcanic eruptions that occur around the world every year the fossil fuel emissions are miniscule.
However, no plant could grow without carbon dioxide so no life could exist without carbon dioxide. Far from being the poison it is being promoted as; Carbon Dioxide is the basis of all life.
The quantum of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in the order of 0.04 of one percent of total gasses or 350 to 400 parts per million, varying by season and region.
Greenhouse operators dose the atmosphere in the green house with carbon dioxide to enhance plant growth. Incremental increases in growth rates have been measured up to 1000 parts per million of CO2. Scientists in New Zealand have identified increased pasture growth up to 475 parts per million. Higher levels were not included but we could expect a similar effect as in the greenhouses.
Scientists quoted below:
Applied Plant Research: “The ideal C02 value is approximately 1000 ppm. In spring and summer, it is beneficial for the plant to have as high a level as possible (but not above 1000 ppm). “
NZ ag research study over 15 years: “In terms of the direct effects of CO2 elevated to 475 ppm, increases in primary production occurred.”
From the above we see that scientists have identified that increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere results in an increase in all plant growth. Significantly this includes all plants linked to the production of food.
Set aside pre-programmed (mis) conceptions and we can understand that increased CO2 in the atmosphere is helping to feed the world’s burgeoning population. However, as I have shown those increases do NOT come from livestock
Finally consider the composition of the atmosphere. Nitrogen accounts for 78% of the atmosphere, oxygen 21% and argon 0.9%. (total 99.9%)
Gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides methane, and ozone are trace gases that in combination account for about a tenth of one percent of the atmosphere.
The carbon cycle must be taken into account before applying utterly unjustified punitive taxes on farmers. When properly calculated this will show that the nett effect of livestock on greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is in fact less than zero.
Therefore, any tax on emissions from livestock has no basis in science.
No Gas emitted by livestock has not first come directly from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
Jacinda Ardern and James Shaw must be made to recognise these facts and stop the utterly unjustified tax on livestock. And our farming organisations must stop following the false narrative and come together and demand this.
Danny Simms has a background in farming and business, and is an active member of his Northland community. This article was originally published HERE, 12 June 2022
1 comment:
So in other words farmers should receive carbon credits and not be punished because their farming activity sequesters SOME of the co2 out of the atmosphere. (Not all co2 is returned. Some is sequester in the soil from absorbed livestock droppings, some sequester in the soil from absorbed pasture residue. Some is retained long term in the bones and hides that are not converted into gasses. A lot is retained in the food that we eat and in our bodies.)
We all know that the Greens and Labour want to hammer the farming community ( our gold star exporters ) by forcing them to pay their fair share…….for what?
Not only are the Marxists having a go at the NZ farming industry where James Shaw (who has no science understanding) the Dutch farmers are also under pressure to reduce their food source!
AS A FOOT NOTE. Our farmers should be increasing its stock head number not reducing.
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