Ireland: Government considers slaughtering 200,000 cows for climate change  

To reduce emissions

Ireland is a country where the population of cattle far exceeds that of humans, since according to the latest statistics it stands at 7.4 million . Of course, this is no accident, as this is a place where cattle breeding is rooted in tradition, with the “Raid to Steal the Bulls of Cooley”, an epic tale of Irish mythology considered by many to be the equivalent of the Irish Iliad, a prime example. .

However, Ireland’s more than 100,000 farms are responsible for almost 38% of the country’s emissions. This is the highest rate in the European Union and most of this comes from the methane associated with burping of ruminants.

The country’s aim is to have zero emissions by 2050. For this reason, the government was considering a new plan, which stated that 10% of Ireland’s livestock population would have to be “displaced” in the coming years. In particular, the Ministry of Agriculture proposed the idea of ​​culling around 200,000 cows over three years, so that the agricultural sector could also play its part in reducing emissions. The report that made the rounds on the internet also spoke of a compensation of 5,000 euros per cow for the breeders.

However, these shots caused a huge backlash, with the topic being hotly debated on social media. For example, even Elon Musk , head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of Twitter, took a position, who wrote characteristically:

This really needs to stop. Killing a few cows doesn’t matter to climate change.

Ultimately, the decision has yet to be made, as the Irish Mirror reports the Department of Agriculture said the report was based on a “modelling document” .

Specifically, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Shipping stated:

“The document referred to was part of a consultation process – that is, it is one of the modeling documents being considered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Shipping and is not a final policy decision. As part of the normal work of government departments, various options are regularly considered for the implementation of a policy”.