Energy and climate change

Livestock’s long shadow: Environmental issues and options
by H. Steinfeld, P. Gerber, T. Wassenaar, V. Castel, M. Rosales, C. de Haan - 2006, 390 pp

This report aims to assess the full impact of the livestock sector on environmental problems, along with potential technical and policy approaches to mitigation. The assessment is based on the most recent and complete data available, taking into account direct impacts, along with the impacts of feed crop agriculture required for livestock production.

The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and its potential contribution to their solution is equally large. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency. Major reductions in impact could be achieved at reasonable cost.
The cumulative effects of climate warming and other human stresses on Canadian freshwaters in the new millennium
(pdf) by Dr. D.W. Schindler. “As flows decline and human populations increase, the quality of water for drinking will deteriorate. Rapidly expanding industrial agriculture will greatly exacerbate the problem, for many industrial farms now put out amounts of nutrients and pathogens that would equal those of a moderate to large city. In many areas, lax municipal or provincial regulations permit effluents from livestock operations with of thousands of animals to be released to the environment with little or no treatment.” Page 21
Climate change in Canada: Adaptation and Mitigation
(pdf) A brief to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry by the National Farmers Union
Report on Farm Policy Issues to the Ontario Liberal Caucus
(pdf) National Farmers Union Region 3 / Ontario