Baraza

Category: Climate change | Date: Aug 24 2008 | By: baraza

In a recent publication titled “Native wildlife on rangelands to minimize methane and produce lower-emission meat: kangaroos versus livestock” George Wilson  and Melanie Edwards argue that we should be eating Kangaroos not beef and lamb. They show that cattle and sheep produce 11% of Australias Green House Gases, while kangaroos produce negligible amounts. Basically they don’t belch or pass wind unlike most other livestock! They suggest the removal of 7 million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 and the increase of kangaroo numbers to 175 million to produce same amount of meat. This they say “would lower Australia’s GHG emissions by 16 megatonnes, or 3% of Australia’s annual emissions”.

The Australian wildlife protection council warns that “Australia has no culture for the eating of kangaroo meat. It was eaten during the starving tomes of early white settlement but was considered a poor substitute for beef, sheep meats, pork and chicken”  another Australian, Corey Bradshaw, says” Beef is bad but skippy is better”.

The math adds up, but there’s no question it would be an uphill challenge to change the cultural and social standards of diet and livestock production. Nevertheless, trials are underway based on international experiences of managing free-ranging species to give farmers an option to reduce the contribution that livestock make to green house gas production.

Personally I hate the idea of eating Kangaroos, but I do eat meat. I also love Kangaroos (Skippy is tattooed on my brain) and doubt I could ever eat one.

What about you? Knowing the carbon benefits, what do you think about eating Kangaroo meat to save the planet?

1. Absolutely, I wish I”d known earlier, I’ll switch to roo in a minute

2. I’ve no objection, I’d eat it at least part of the time

3. I’m vaguely disgusted at the idea  of eating Kangaroo and wouldn’t switch from beef/lamb/pork etc

4. I’d never eat a roo. Never! In fact, if there was no other choice I’d become a vegetarian

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Tags: Climate change, eating kangaroos, green house gases, Kangaroo, ruminants

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