IRELAND IS in the throes of a nationwide farmer protest. On May 29, a media report revealed that the government was deliberating plans to cull some 200,000 cows over the course of three years, at an yearly cost of €200 million (around US $211.5 million) to be paid to farmers as compensation, for meeting the country's climate emission goals. The news triggered large-scale farmer protests, which continued till September, despite a government clarification that the numbers were just an estimate in a modelling paper and not a final plan ready for implementation.
High-income nations across the world seem to have chosen agriculture as a priority sector to enforce emissions cut for meeting their national climate targets. Since last year, at least half a dozen countries have taken, or are planning to take, steps to curb farm sector emissions. These include the Netherlands, New Zealand and Canada (see 'Farm focus' on p22).
Methane (from livestock belching, flatulence and dung) and nitrous oxide (from nitrogen fertilisers) are the two main greenhouse gases (GHGS) from the agriculture sector. Emissions and storage from soil carbon (which is counted in land use) and farm energy use are not counted as part of agricultural emissions. As per US Environmental Protection Agency, methane and nitrous oxide account for 16 per cent and 6 per cent of global GHGS.
Esta historia es de la edición November 01, 2023 de Down To Earth.
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Esta historia es de la edición November 01, 2023 de Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara