Dale's News and Ideas Blog: Carbon Tax Hyperbolic Worries and Reality Part 3

Well it is the new year and the Carbon Tax passing into law still has not destroyed us yet...but what if it was. Find below part 3 of the hyperbolic worries that stem from the introduction of a Carbon Tax that is all tied into the world from the previous two entries in this series.

3. Livestock kept in bubbles.
The worry:
Australia has a large amount of livestock, with it being our main export after materials and minerals. However all these livestock release 11% of Australia’s greenhouses gases into the atmosphere. To combat this livestock will be placed into bubbles that will suck up the CO2 from their manure, and send it direct to the new super CO2 plants. By doing this we effectively reduce the environmental impact that livestock has. A possible downside of this situation would be the growing rift between the green movement between which is more important, the environment or animal rights.

An idealised version

How reality is almost there:
Australia has slowly been moving towards a more organic culture for their foods, however with the ever increasing cost of living, and the increasing population, things are just going to continue down the road of expensive living. Already we hear the public outcry about how normal Aussie families are unable to handle costs.

Due to environmental problems at farming sections of the country, levels of some livestock are lower than usual, and therefore following the supply and demand structure we see the price in meat increase. Which in effect prices out some of the social markets. With tariffs on important foods increasing their cost, some people within the lower socioeconomic sphere will be unable to afford meat, which will affect their possible nutrition (which many already claim is questionable in Australia), leading to a difficult question of how to make it cheaper for these people. The Government could set a maximum price, which in turn would effect already hurt farmers, or they could implement factory farming. It is space efficient (if less humane), and produces a large amount of product, which would effectively decrease the cost of meat for the population, by producing economies of scale- it is also cheaper for the farmer as well. When people are struggling, and costs are high they can do some things which are cruel, but coldly logical.

Scientists are currently looking into using microbes to convert cow manure into a renewable energy (biogas) which would reduce CO2, and provide a useful tool for society. In Australia the Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have the Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program (RELRP) to develop methods to reduce emissions from livestock and their manure, and even increase the productivity of the farming industry. At the moment this research includes areas such as selective breeding, the use of microbes to reduce the natural greenhouses from livestock and manure, and a change in diet. You can find out more about this interesting research at the Departments for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s website.