Ireland proposes killing 200,000 dairy cows for climate agenda

Jun 06, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)

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Ireland is proposing a slaughter of 200,000 dairy cows in order to have cleaner air. Methane from cows is considered a leading contributor to greenhouse gasses.

But Irish dairy farmers aren’t having it. They are revolting against the country’s proposal to kill 65,000 cows a year, for three years, to meet climate goals.

Cull of dairy cows would slash herd by 10%

The proposal would shrink the national dairy herd by 10% at a cost to taxpayers of $213 million annually. The Irish government says the cull would be voluntary and the government would pay ranchers per head of cattle culled as a “retirement exit scheme.”

Critics call proposal a disaster for Ireland

Elon musk was quick to condemn Ireland’s proposal. He took to Twitter saying that killing cows doesn’t matter for climate change. Farmers say if the cull is voluntary, it won’t meet climate targets, calling the plan a waste.

The president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, Tim Cullinan, said that beef and dairy production would simply shift to other countries, causing more emissions elsewhere and therefore defeating the purpose of the overall climate goal.

The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Pat McCormack, said that herds aren’t any larger than they were 30 years ago, noting the same can’t be said for the transportation and aviation industries.

Ireland’s Agriculture Department: No final plans for proposal

Another critic, geologist Ian Pilmer, says culling 200,000 head of cattle can only end in “disaster.”

He compared the move to the Irish potato famine, where a third of the Irish population died and a third emigrated out. He fears the move would backfire on the country.

The Irish Department of Agriculture said there are no final plans, and that this is simply a proposal.

This is a story unlike many others, but it’s not getting a lot of attention from the media. Only a handful of outlets are reporting on Ireland’s proposed culling to meet its climate agenda.

Right-leaning outlets have offered coverage while left-leaning outlets have largely ignored the story. By using the Straight Arrow News Media Miss tool, see when the mainstream media is ignoring a topic that might not fit an agenda.

Tags: Agriculture, cows, Elon Musk, greenhouse gas emissions, Ireland, Media Landscape, Methane emissions

KARAH RUCKER: IRELAND IS PROPOSING A SLAUGHTER OF 200,000 DAIRY COWS IN ORDER TO HAVE CLEANER AIR. METHANE FROM COWS IS CONSIDERED A LEADING CONTRIBUTOR TO GREENHOUSE GASSES.

BUT IRISH DAIRY FARMERS – AREN’T HAVING IT. REVOLTING AGAINST THE COUNTRY’S PROPOSAL TO KILL 65-THOUSAND COWS A YEAR, FOR THREE YEARS, TO MEET CLIMATE GOALS.

CULL OF DAIRY COWS WOULD SLASH HERD BY 10%

THE PROPOSAL WOULD SHRINK THE NATIONAL DAIRY HERD BY 10-PERCENT, AT A COST TO TAXPAYERS OF 213-MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY.

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT SAYS THE CULL WOULD BE VOLUNTARY – THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY RANCHERS PER HEAD OF CATTLE CULLED –

AS A “RETIREMENT EXIT SCHEME”.

THIS IS A STORY UNLIKE MANY OTHERS.

BUT IT’S NOT GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM THE MEDIA.

ONLY A HANDFUL OF OUTLETS ARE REPORTING ON IRELAND’S PROPOSED CULLING TO MEET ITS CLIMATE AGENDA –

CONSERVATIVE SITES HAVE OFFERED COVERAGE WHILE LEFT-LEANING MEDIA HAVE LARGELY IGNORED THE STORY.

BY USING THIS “MEDIA MISS” TOOL ON OUR WEBSITE –

YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF WHEN THE MAINSTREAM IS IGNORING A TOPIC THAT MIGHT NOT FIT AN AGENDA.

THIS STORY IS RECEIVING A LOT OF BACKLASH –

BUT YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT IF YOU FOLLOW NEWS FROM ONLY FROM LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS.

CRITICS CALL PROPOSAL A DISASTER FOR IRELAND

ELON MUSK WAS QUICK TO CONDEMN IRELAND’S PROPOSAL. TAKING TO TWITTER TO SAY KILLING COWS DOESN’T MATTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. FARMERS SAY IF THE CULL IS VOLUNTARY, IT WON’T MEET CLIMATE TARGETS –

CALLING THE PLAN A WASTE.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE IRISH FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION SAYS THAT BEEF AND DAIRY PRODUCTION WOULD SIMPLY SHIFT TO OTHER COUNTRIES, CAUSING MORE EMISSIONS ELSEWHERE AND THEREFORE DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF THE OVERALL GOAL.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE IRISH CREAMERY MILK SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION SAID THAT HERDS AREN’T ANY LARGER THAN THEY WERE 30 YEARS AGO, NOTING THE SAME CAN’T BE SAID FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND AVIATION INDUSTRIES.

IRELAND’S AG DEPARTMENT: NO FINAL PLANS FOR PROPOSAL

ANOTHER CRITIC IS GEOLOGIST IAN PILMER WHO SAYS CULLING 200-THOUSAND HEAD OF CATTLE CAN ONLY END IN “DISASTER”.

HE COMPARES IT TO THE IRISH POTATO FAMINE, WHERE A THIRD OF THE IRISH POPULATION DIED, AND A THIRD EMIGRATED OUT.

HE FEARS THE MOVE WOULD BACKFIRE ON THE COUNTRY.

THE IRISH DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAID THERE ARE NO FINAL PLANS –

AND THIS IS SIMPLY A PROPOSAL AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS.