Knowledge+Saturation

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 //__**Eating meat kills more people than we thought.**__//

There is no more denying it. Meat contains highly toxic substances that are responsible for many deaths and diseases. Heavy meat consumption increases your risk of dying from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, according to a federal study conducted by the National Cancer Institute and featured in Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday.

The study looked at the records of more than half a million men and women aged 50 to 71, following their diet and other health habits for 10 years. Between 1995 and 2005, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.

The researchers divided the volunteers into 5 groups or "quintiles." All other major factors were accounted for -- eating fresh fruits and vegetables, smoking, exercise, obesity, etc. Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20% higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50% higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less. Men had a 22% higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27% higher risk of dying of heart disease.

"For overall mortality, 11% of deaths in men and 16% of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their red meat consumption to the level of intake in the first quintile," One of the teams wrote. They also noted that meat contains several cancer-causing chemicals, as well as the unhealthiest forms of fat.

__//**Cattle cause more damage to out planet than cars**//__

In a 400-page report, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, it states that the world's surging cattle herds are the No. 1 threat to the climate, forests and other wildlife, as they cause environmental problems from acid rain and poisoning of drinking water and the destruction of ocean life. The pollution from cattle ranching washes down into the sea and causes "dead zones" where there is no ocean life. Up to 8,108 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico is such a zone due to beef production wastes washed down by the Mississippi river.

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"Producing meat from cattle is an extremely inefficient and dirty way to produce food," said Mike Adams, a nutritionist and ethicist. "There are many reasons to avoid eating red meat, including health reasons -- such as the fact that processed meat consumption radically increases the risk of various cancers -- and ecological reasons. Cattle ranching not only destroys rainforest, uses enormous quantities of fresh water and results in the inhumane treatment of animals, it also accelerates the destruction of the planet's atmosphere."


 * //__Way to cut cattle methane__//**

Ranching is the major driver of worldwide deforestation, the report states, and a fifth of the world's pastures and ranges are being turned into desert by overgrazing. Cows also require a massive amount of water -- it takes about 261 gallons of water to produce a little more than one quart of milk -- and water becomes over-nourished by the fertilizers that grow feed and the wastes from the animals, causing weeds to overgrow and choke other plant life.

By developing equations that balance starch, sugar, cellulose, ash, fat and other elements of feed, a Canada-wide team of scientists has given beef producers the tools to lessen the methane gas their cattle produce by as much as 25%.

"That's good news for the environment," said Stephen Moore, a professor of agricultural, food and nutritional science at the University of Alberta in Canada. "Methane is a greenhouse gas, and in Canada, cattle account for 72% of the total emissions. By identifying factors such as diet or genetics that can reduce emissions, we hope to give beef farmers a way to lessen the environmental footprint of their cattle production. Methane reductions in the order of 25% are certainly achievable through breeding alone, and adding diet formulation may improve this further."

Using information from previous studies, the researchers compiled an extensive database of methane production values measured on cattle and were able to formulate equations to predict how much methane a cow would produce based on diet. The study was jointly conducted with the universities of Guelph, Alberta and Manitoba, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria. It published recently in the //Journal of Animal Science//.

The findings build on previous work by Moore and his research team on genetically selecting cattle that inherently produce less methane. While further studies are needed before bringing the research into general use, the work "promises significant improvements in environmental stewardship on the farm," Moore noted.

The study was funded by the Canada Research Chairs program and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Human-related Sources
In the United States, the largest methane emissions come from the decomposition of wastes in landfills, ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock, natural gas and oil systems, and coal mining. Table 1 shows the level of emissions from individual sources for the years 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 to 2007. Metallurgical Coke Production || 1.0 || 1.0 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 0.7 || Consumption || + || + || + || + || + || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ ||
 * Table 1 U.S. Methane Emissions by Source (TgCO2 Equivalents)**
 * ~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Source Category ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1990 ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1995 ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2000 ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2005 ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2006 ||~ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2007 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Enteric Fermentation || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">133.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">143.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">134.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">136.0 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">138.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">139.0 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Landfills || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">149.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">144.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">122.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">127.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">130.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">132.9 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Natural Gas Systems || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">129.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">132.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">130.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">106.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">104.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">104.7 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Coal Mining || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">84.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">67.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">60.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">57.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">58.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">57.6 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Manure Management || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">30.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">34.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">37.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">41.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">41.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">44.0 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Forest Land Remaining Forest Land || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">20.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">14.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">31.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">29.0 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Petroleum Systems || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">33.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">32.0 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">30.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">28.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">28.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">28.8 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Wastewater Treatment || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">23.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">24.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">25.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">24.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">24.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">24.4 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Stationary Combustion || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.7 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.6 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rice Cultivation || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.2 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Abandoned Underground Coal Mines || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6.0 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">8.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5.7 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mobile Combustion || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4.7 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2.5 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2.4 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2.3 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Composting || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.7 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.3 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.6 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.7 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Petrochemical Production || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.0 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1.0 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Field Burning of Agricultural Residue || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.7 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.7 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.9 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.8 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.9 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Iron and Steel Production &
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ferroalloy Production || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">+ ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Silicon Carbide Production and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">International Bunker Fuels || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.2 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">0.1 ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Total for U.S.** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**616.6** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**615.8** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**591.1** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**561.7** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**582.0** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**585.3** ||

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Natural Sources
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Emissions of methane from natural sources are largely determined by environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. The best available information indicates that global methane emissions from natural sources are around 225 Tg (Tg: teragram) per year. However, the value is highly uncertain. If the lower estimates of the strength of individual sources of methane are used, the total natural emissions would only be about 135 Tg per year. Conversely using the upper limits of individual methane sources would imply a total natural source of 300 Tg per year.
 * Wetlands.** Natural wetlands are responsible for the majority of global methane emissions from natural sources, accounting for about 175 Tg of methane per year (range 100-231 Tg per year). Wetlands provide a habitat conducive to methane-producing (methanogenic) bacteria that produce methane during the decomposition of organic material. These bacteria require environments with no oxygen and abundant organic matter, both of which are present in wetland conditions.
 * Termites.** Global emissions of methane due to termites are estimated to be between 20 and 29 Tg per year, making them the second largest natural source of methane emissions. Methane is produced in termites as part of their normal digestive process, and the amount generated varies among different species. Ultimately, emissions from termites depend largely on the population of these insects, which can also vary significantly among different regions of the world.
 * Oceans.** Oceans are estimated to be responsible for approximately 10 Tg of methane per year (range 4-15 Tg per year). The source of methane from oceans is not entirely clear, but two identified sources include the anaerobic digestion in marine zooplankton and fish, and also from methanogenisis in sediments and drainage areas along coastal regions.
 * Hydrates.** Global emissions from methane hydrates are estimated to be around 4 to 10 Tg of methane per year. Methane hydrates are solid deposits composed of cages of water molecules that contain molecules of methane. The solids can be found deep underground in polar regions and in ocean sediments of the outer continental margin throughout the world. Methane can be released from the hydrates with changes in temperature, pressure, salt concentrations, and other factors. Overall, the amount of methane stored in these hydrates globally is estimated to be very large with the potential for large releases of methane if there are significant breakdowns in the stability of the deposits. Because of this large potential for emissions, there is much ongoing scientific research related to analyzing and predicting how changes in the ocean environment affect the stability of hydrates.
 * Geologic.** Geologic emissions are estimated to be between 4 and 14 Tg of methane per year. Geologic emissions are difficult to quantify because there are many small point sources all over the Earth. One of the dominant sources of geologic methane is mud volcanoes. These structures can be up to 10 kilometers in diameter, though most are much smaller, and often form on tectonic plate boundaries or near fossil fuel deposits. Over 1,000 such structures have been located on land or in shallow water. Mud volcanoes release methane gas from within the Earth, as well as smaller amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and helium. Other structures which emit methane that would qualify as geologic sources include gryphons, steam vents and bubbling pools.
 * Wildfires.** Wild fires are estimated to release between 2 and 5 Tg of methane per year. Methane is released during fires due to incomplete combustion of organic material. A large fraction of these emissions come from deforestation in tropical areas, however only the emissions from natural forest fires are considered here. In addition to emissions from direct combustion, fires can lead to the release of large amounts of methane from soil, especially in high latitude regions. Here, fires melt permafrost which traps methane in the soil. In addition, warmer soil temperatures after fire events lead to greater microbial activity. Greater microbial activity increases the diffusion of methane from soils to the atmosphere.
 * Wild animals.** Another highly uncertain source of methane emissions is wild animals. Bison and buffaloes are examples of animals that release methane. Estimates of how much methane is emitted from wild animals can be derived based on estimates of the population of these species. Estimates have suggested the source strength of methane emissions from wild animals could be u