EDITORIAL/INFO: Would Eating Kangaroos Solve Global Warming?

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EDITORIAL/INFO: Would Eating Kangaroos Solve Global Warming? Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:12 am (PST) The Hartford Courant http://www.courant. com/news/ opinion/op_ ed/hc- stanley1024. artoct24, 0,3342650. story Would Eating Kangaroos Solve Global Warming? SCOTT STANLEY October 24, 2007 In his 1893 play "A Woman of No Importance," the famed British wit Oscar Wilde defined fox hunting as "the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable." One can only wonder about his reaction to the

recommendation by the international environmental group Greenpeace that Australians slaughter and eat more of their nation's 25 million kangaroos to help save the world from global warming. Wilde aside, the action urged in a Greenpeace-commissi oned report, "Paths to a Low-Carbon Future," is not likely to sit well with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals nor their vegetarian- promoting pals at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Kangaroos, which outnumber Australia's human population of 20.5 million by some 4 million, have long been the national symbol of the Land Down Under. Under national law, roughly 3 million are allowed to be harvested each year - mostly for the soft leather of their skins and their meat, which is considered a delicacy in such countries as Germany, France and Belgium. But until now, no one has been bold enough to urge mass

exterminations of the beloved Joeys - nor serving them up on buns as McRoos. Global warming, which Greenpeace and other eco-activists regard as an approaching catastrophe, may override the objections of animal lovers, however. As it turns out, kangaroos are just as flatulent as cattle and sheep - belching and breaking wind across the vast expanse of Australia's Outback. The methane gasses kangaroos produce rise into the atmosphere where they trap heat, increasing the Earth's temperature. And worse, their wide-ranging travels require a constant clearing of trees and shrubs that can absorb such greenhouse gasses. Greenpeace campaigner Mark Wakeham says Aussies who object to a portion of roo on their dinner plate can do their part by eating non- meat substitutes or fish. "It's one of the lifestyle changes we can make," Wakeham told The Melbourne Sun. "Changing our meat consumption habits

is a small way to make an impact." In the Greenpeace report, author Mark Diesendorf of the University of New South Wales contends that lopping beef from the Aussie diet and replacing it with kangaroo would cut Australia's carbon emissions some 15 million metric tons a year. The report, which was released Oct. 10, coincides with calls from environmentalists in America for people to reduce consumption of beef and switch to fish and chicken or, better, join the growing vegetarian movement. It also makes one wonder if Greenpeace simply has slipped its moorings as a staunch defender of the environment and is running ideologically amok. After all, kangaroo herds have been hopping around the Australian continent for eons and eons - long before England's finest judges began populating the land with Brits who ended up in Bedlam and The Clink for both low and high crimes. While

the emissions of the world's livestock are said to be responsible for more greenhouse gasses than all human activity, the real question might well be are greenhouse gasses really responsible for the 1 degree of global warming that's occurred over the last 120 years. Many scientists now argue that the real culprit might well be that deemed responsible for past periods of global warming - increased solar activity. One can only hope that Greenpeace, in its avid desire to combat global warming, doesn't convince Australians to slaughter vast herds of a benign animal that has as much right to inhabit this small planet as humans. Flatulence is uncouth, but it is hardly a criminal offense that deserves the death penalty. Perhaps PETA ought to arrange a summit conference with Greenpeace to work out a more peaceful solution. In the meantime, toss another Joey on the barbie, mate!

Scott Stanley is an independent journalist based in Williamsburg, Va., and the former political editor of Conservative Digest, American Opinion and American Press International, among others. This was distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - Letter to the editor: 10/26/07 http://www.courant. com/news/ opinion/letters/ hc- lets1026.artoct26, 0,1078781. story No Suggestion Of Slaughter October 26, 2007 Scott Stanley [Other Opinion, Oct. 24, "Would Eating Kangaroos Solve Global Warming?"] brings us the tale of an "ideologically amok" Greenpeace report recommending "mass exterminations" of kangaroos because their emissions contribute to global warming. He implies that global warming research must be equally

wacky. But is the story true? Not really. A quick Web search finds that "Paths to a Low-Carbon Future" is a study of ways to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. It goes on at length about more efficient appliances, public transportation, aluminum smelting and other topics. Out of the 32-page report, kangaroos are mentioned just twice, both times in a recommendation to reduce beef production by shifting to kangaroo meat and/or lower-meat diets. Another quick search finds that Australians already eat millions of pounds of kangaroo meat per year. I was able to find out that Stanley's article was bogus in less time than it took to write this letter. Why weren't The Courant's editors? Pete Bradley Bolton (CT) ************ ********* ******** Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright

owners. I believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. ------------ --------- -ISSUE--- --------- --------- ------ URGENT ACTION required to stop last nail going into the kangaroo coffin. Please ask all your friends, colleagues & family to write letters and forward this e-mail to your lists. Background below: Greenpeace commissioned report "Paths to a Low-Carbon Future" by Dr Mark Diesendorf from the University of NSW . http://www.greenpea ce.org.au/ blog/energy/ wp- content/uploads/ 2007/10/diesendo rf-report_ 1007.pdf Karen Collier from Herald Sun has written the article "Greenpeace Urges Kangaroo Consumption to Fight Global Warming" http://www.news. com.au/heraldsun /story/0, 21985,22562480- 662,00.html Mark Wakeham from Greenpeace claims they were misrepresented in the media. However he did nothing to clarify in the media Greenpeace's position re: slaughter of kangaroos and consumption of kangaroos' flesh, inspite of WLPA (World League for Protection of Animals) requesting him to do that. He said to us that:"Greenpeace does not have a policy on the commercial kangaroo industry, but we have been clear in responding to any inquiries we have, that eating kangaroos is not Greenpeace policy". Greenpeace has a high media profile so unfortunately the article in the Herald Sun has undermined years of hard work by

many wildlife groups. Already today Dana Thompson from University S.A, interviewed on the ABC Bush Telegraph, commented that even groups such Greenpeace are promoting the eating of kangaroo flesh. As the public is influenced by organisations such as Greenpeace, it is of the utmost importance that Greenpeace will correct the impression given in the media and state that eating kangaroo flesh is not Greenpeace policy. Otherwise the public is left with a false impression and this will be the last nail to the kangaroo's coffin. Could you please urgently contact Greenpeace and ask them to state publicly via a Media Realease that they do not promote eating kangaroo meat. Also please contact Herald Sun, Bush Telegraph & Dr Diesendorf. Details below. 1) GREENPEACE a) Greenpeace International Email: supporter.services@ int.greenpeace. org Ottho Heldringstraat 5 1066 AZ Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 7182000 Fax: +31 20 5148151 b) Steve Shallhorn CEO of Greenpeace Australia greenpeace c) Mark Wakeham - Energy Campaigner Greenpeace Australia Pacific mark.wakeham tel: 03 9341 8127 mob 0409 542 753 Please request that Greenpeace (GP) issues a media release stating that they do not support the commercial slaughter of kangaroos. If you are a member of GP you might wish to state your commitment to support (or not)

GP in the future. You might wish to include points such as: - environmental disaster (numbers collapsing, drought, genepool weakened) Tim Flannery in his book COUNTRY writes about a study by Researcher Alan Newsome on red kangaroo populations which showed that when kangaroos moved into shade-less plains and their testicles heated up, their fertility plummeted. It is therefore obvious that with the rise in temperature due to global warming, kangaroos will become far less fertile – Tim Flannery warns…. "Newsome's study provided a valuable insight on how delicately balanced life is on this continent, and how easy it is to damage its creatures. It also filled me with fear for the future of the large kangaroos in the face of global warming". End quote. Dr.David Croft from UNSW is the foremost macropod specialist in this country and is based at the Sturt National Park . He has warned that kangaroo

populations have crashed and that global warming will reduce fertility and add to the population crash. - economic infeasibility (to replace even a portion of current beef consumption we would need to be killing the entire kangaroo population hundreds of times over each year) see attachment - cruelty especially to joeys (in-pouch & at foot), mob families trashed. For more info re: kangaroo please visit www.awpc.org.au or www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com Please contact also media and request that they give equal voice to the animal protection groups opposing kangaroo slaughter. 2) Karen Collier - Herald Sun, go to http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun then click on "Opinion" tag, then choose from menu "Send a letter to the editor" 3) Michael Mackenzie - the Bush Telegraph presenter on ABC Radio

National. mackenzie.michael@ abc.net.au Phone: (03) 9626 1225 Fax: (03) 9626 1733 To contact ABC Rural please use form on http://www.abc. net.au/rural/ contact/ You might also wish to contact author of the Report "Paths to a Low- Carbon Future" 4) Dr Mark Diesendorf, Institute of Environmental Studies , University of NSW tel (02) 9801 2976am, (02) 9385 5707pm, mob. 0402 940 892, fax: (02)9663 1015 email m.diesendorf@ unsw.edu. au If you have time to write only one letter please write to Greenpeace. Block of emails below is for your convenience.

You can copy it and paste to "To:" field in your e-mail program. greenpeace (AT) au (DOT) greenpeace. org; mark.wakeham@ au.greenpeace. org; supporter.services@ int.greenpeace. org for the kangaroo -Teresa ------------ --------- --------- ------ Dr Teresa Buss-Carden Australians for Wildlife Subcommittee of WLPA www.wlpa.org http://www.chooseveg.com/meet-your-meat.asp The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. -Albert Einstein