More Global Warming Absurdity: Blame Belching Moose

The IPCC blamed mankind for global warming in its latest reports this Spring. We were told that pollution from excess CO2 emissions from coal-fired plants and auto emissions was wrecking havoc on the earth. Unless we wanted the oceans to rise and flood all our coastal areas, we had better make radical changes in our lifestyles.

Lo and behold, humans are not the only culprits. We may not even be the primary contributors. Other animals are polluters, too.

Norwegian researchers have reported that moose belching is contributing to global warming. According to Professor Odd Harstad at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the average moose “emits about 100 kilograms of methane gas a year.” The estimate is based on the emissions from cattle, which are also notorious methane gas producers.

Harstad goes on to explain that methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 in its effect on global warming. “With an estimated 140,000 moose roaming Norway's forests, that is a total of 294,000,000 kilograms of CO2 per year” produced by Norwegian moose.

“Across the globe there are estimated to be over 2 million moose with the highest numbers in Canada, Russia, United States and Sweden” (http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm414112.html). Therefore, 2,000,000 moose worldwide x 100 kilograms of methane per moose per year = 200,000,000 (200 million) kilograms of methane produced by moose annually. That is the equivalent of 4,200,000,000 (4.2 trillion) kilograms of CO2 produced by the world’s moose annually (200,000,000 x 21), using Professor Harstad's formula.

All ruminants (cows, deer, moose, etc.) produce methane. That is why George Will recently suggested we should give up our Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Besides the fuel costs of raising and feeding cows and transporting their milk, the cows themselves are guilty of producing “eight gallons of methane” for every four gallons of milk (quoted in The Patriot Post, August 17, 2007). According to Mr. Will, “the world meat industry produces 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions, more than transportation produces.” Who knew?

Now, please excuse me. The temperature today in Jacksonville is in the nineties. I hear my Haagen Daz calling to me from the freezer: “Come to me, I will give you some cooling refreshment.”