The Effects of Climate Change: Agriculture and Livestock

Climate change has affected us in many ways, but it was even more influential on organisms and their community. The Earth is gradually heating and we are left to deal with the consequences. Homes are being destroyed, organisms are dying, and resources are running low. Since 1880, Our Earth’s temperature had increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius. Climate change is affecting the Earth and scientists say that one more degree will greatly affect people from all over the world. There are many consequences of climate change and each one has a great impact on all of us, but organisms’ homes are being destroyed and thousands of species are dying out. These organisms are imperative to our world and how it functions.

The conditions in which meat livestock live in is not exactly that of a large open green field in which they are free to roam and be merry. In the Economist article, Cows down: The beef business (2008) the effects of the ill conditions cows talks of how a

Shifts in temperature and precipitation will be a shock to fragile ecosystems which depend on specific climatic conditions. Many species will be unable to adapt as fast as their environment changes and face sharply reduced numbers or extinction. Scientists estimate that a warming of just 2 degree will put as many as 30% of the world's species at risk of extinction. Plants and animals aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure of changing ecosystems. Many regions will face severe water shortages in a warmer world, creating the potential for conflict. It is believed that the genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region is at least in part a response to water shortages resulting from global warming.

According to the article “Meat and Livestock Production”, confinement feeding is a drought feeding practice that aims to promote animal health and welfare while preserving ground cover and land condition across the majority of the property.

The effects of selective breeding and genetic manipulation can be seen in many ways as cruel treatment in the cattle industry, especially when talking about dairy cattle and beef cattle. As stated by United Kingdom levy board for milk production, the European Milk Development Council, “The average dairy cow now produces more than 6695 L of milk per year, approximately 20% more than her counterpart from just 10 years ago.” This is twenty times more than the average calf needs, meaning dairy cattle are exploited for their milk to satisfy the demand in the growing industry. Like humans, cows only produce milk when they are pregnant, meaning dairy cattle are pregnant most of their life. If not for the abuses of milk production within dairy cattle,

In the Periodical report it describes different studies that are being conducted by determining the different approaches on weaning calves that follows with increased stress in the animal. It has been stated that, when the public eye sees the effects weaning has on both cow and calf, they perceive that it is an animal welfare issue. In detail it describes the importance of reducing stress in the calf while stating that there isn't a perfect way when weaning. Studies have shown many different techniques that improve the welfare and stress in calves when weaning, but nothing can be completely accurate.

"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words” (Anna Sewell). There is undeniable evidence that animals are being affected by climate change. Even though the effects are difficult to measure, there are many different ways animals are being affected. With the loss of predator and prey species it affects the life cycles in the food chain. The earth’s climate change causes habitats such as snow, ice, or forest areas to alter, resulting in loss of habitat and food accessibility as well as causing extinction.

Along with adequate feed, cattle need plenty of water each day. In times of draught, this can be quite a challenge to the seed stock producers.

Thesis: According to National Geographic Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit around the world since 1880 and by 2050, rising temperatures could send more than a million of Earth's land-dwelling plants and animals down the road to extinction.

Climate change is a change of environment patterns. In specific the change was obvious from the mid to late 20th century. The reason of the dramatic change was due to large increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. We as people can barely or see no change at all. But the truth is that our Earth is warming little by little. Minor changes in the average temperature of the earth can transform to massive and possibly dangerous shifts in climate and weather. Global temperatures have been on the rise, Earth average temperature has by 1.4 Fahrenheit over the past 100 years, and temperature is projected to increase 2 to 11.5 Fahrenheit over the next century. Again as we can see the evidence of climate changes such as increasing of temperatures, changes in precipitation, consequence in more floods, ice glaciers are melting, and oceans are warming. (‘United States Environmental Protection Agency,” 2014) As those changes take place in our Earth, it becomes more challenging for us humans, and creatures around the planet. So as we understand, the managing of climate change is important, because it will create awareness on the role of science, as well the role of humans, the effects of climate change, and the adaptation of climate change.

The impacts of livestock on global climate change are important to the health of the ecosystem because it causes the average global temperature to increase. Livestock contributes to the majority of methane emitted into the atmosphere because of the feces it produces. The growing population increase is not helpful to this matter because as a result, a demand of food arises. This demand for food also includes the demand for livestock because it is appropriate for the human diet. “Meat production is to double from 229 million tonnes in [2000] to 465 million tonnes in 2050” (McMichael et al. 1259). The methane emission rate is bound to increase because it is “dependent upon the population size of the [livestock], their productivity, and [handling system]” (Jose et al. 3).

The purpose of this journal article was to test two different cooling methods on Murrah buffalo under heat stressed conditions. Summarizing the study, they selected 12 Murrah buffalo that had previously calved 2 or 3 before and were in early, 50-70 days, lactation during the study. The trial took place for a span of 60 days, 30 during the May-June months and the other 30 in the August-September months. 6 buffalo were placed under constantly running water showers (Group 1), while the other 6 were allowed to wallow in a water pond from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M (Group 2). They collected blood samples from both groups on 3 day intervals for both trial time periods, specifically testing for plasma thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), cortisol, and insulin hormones. During the study the buffalo had ad lib water and access to green maze fodder. They wanted to also see how differences in humidity would impact the effectiveness of the cooling methods and how it would impact the buffalos milk and feed yields. The average temperature humidity index (THI) was 80.3% during the hot-dry season and 83.6 during the hot-humid season. The results showed that the buffalo that wallowed in the water pond had a higher average plasma T4 and insulin level compared to those under water showers in the hot-dry season. Plasma T3 levels weren’t noticeably different between Group 1 and 2. Although Plasma cortisol concentration in Group 1 were higher when compared to Group 2 (4.80 vs. 2.60 ng/ml). In the

Venegas-Vargas et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional study of STEC shedding in dairy and beef cattle herds in Michigan. STEC was found to be more prevalent in beef cattle (21%) versus dairy cattle (13%). Factors significantly associated with STEC shedding in dairy cattle included when maximum average temperatures exceeded 28.9C 1-5 days prior to sampling; animals in their first lactation; and animals less than 30 days in lactation. The authors suggested that possible control strategies could be considered for animals in their first lactation and/or within the first 30 days of lactation. Daily cleaning of cattle feeders reduced risk of STEC shedding compared with feeders cleaned less frequently.

Firstly, a large number of environments are changing for the worst. These changes are happening in our own country. The southern animals are coming up north to Canada and competing against our native animals. This is directly caused by global warming which is allowing the warmer climate animals take over the once cold climate. Furthermore, the many plants are blooming as far as a month earlier due to climate change. For example, Purple loosestrife is blooming 24 days earlier which poses an extreme threat to wetland habitants, especially the ones having a hard time adapting. Longer

Climate change is a real issue today and now that can actually be seen in many places. You can physically witness it in places such as Colorado, where the Colorado River is slowly drying up. Many rivers across the world face this same exact problem. It is obvious that we humans suffer from the changes in the climate around the world. However, we are not the only ones. The surrounding ecology of the areas affected by climate change will also be damaged. We will see a large change or erasing of the ecosystems around us. Being an animal/nature lover in this day and age is a hard task indeed. Thankfully many countries right now are taking action to deal a blow to climate change. In fact, there was a recent meeting in France, where multiple countries took a pledge to reduce carbon emissions in their respective locations. One has to ask