With recent revelations of Volkswagen fudging greenhouse gas emissions results, it seems a good time to highlight the fact that food producers are not generally required to inform authorities or consumers of the emissions embedded in their products.
If they were required to do so, the overall results of those involved in animal agriculture would compare very poorly to the results of the automotive manufacturers. That’s even if they were to base them on the most favourable factors possible. I suspect they’d be permitted to do so, as authorities and environmental groups seem reluctant to consider their emissions in a manner befitting our position on the edge of a climate change precipice.
Volkswagen faces penalties from the US Environmental Protection Agency of up to US$18 billion, while the emissions of animal-based food producers escape scrutiny.
We ignore the issue at our peril.
If you’d like to see more on this issue, you can find my articles, papers and presentations on this website’s “Climate Change and the Impact of Animal Agriculture” page.
Author
Paul Mahony (also on Twitter, Scribd, Slideshare and Viva la Vegan)
Sources
The Age via The Canberra Times, “Car maker Volkswagen pays the price for deceit“, 23rd September, 2015, http://www.theage.com.au/comment/ct-editorial/car-maker-volkswagen-pays-the-price-for-deceit-20150923-gjstxi.html
Mahony, P. “Omissions of Emissions: A Critical Climate Change Issue“, Terrastendo, 9th February, 2013, https://terrastendo.net/2013/02/09/omissions-of-emissions-a-critical-climate-change-issue/
Mahony, P. “On the edge of a climate change precipice“, Terrastendo, 3rd March, 2015, https://terrastendo.net/2015/03/03/on-the-edge-of-a-climate-change-precipice/
The Age via Reuters, “Volkswagen shares plunge 20% on emissions scandal as US widens probe“, 22nd September, 2015, http://www.theage.com.au/business/world-business/volkswagen-shares-plunge-20-on-emissions-scandal-as-us-widens-probe-20150921-gjrwzm
Image
Volkswagen Scirocco © | Dreamstime.com
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