Alberta premier slams Trudeau gov’t for ‘ridiculous’ attempt to regulate cattle emissions
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Danielle Smith said she is in disbelief that limiting cattle farts and burps is an important issue and warned that restrictions could lead to food shortages.
(LifeSiteNews) — The Premier of Canada’s largest beef-producing province blasted what she said is a “ridiculous” new Liberal federal government climate policy that aims to incentive beef cattle ranchers to reduce how much gas their cows emit by giving them feed additives.
After first attacking Canada’s oil and gas industry a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced at the United Nations’ “climate change” COP28 conference in Dubai a few days ago a draft version of Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle protocol.
The Trudeau government claims that farmers who participate in the program will get green credits they can sell off to other companies if they can reduce the amount of methane their cows emit, which they say can be done by giving cattle feed additives.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that she was in disbelief the Trudeau government is attacking beef products and food in general.
“Incredibly, this is actually real,” Smith posted Monday on X (formerly Twitter).
“How is going after ranchers and dairy farmers a priority of this federal government? Completely ridiculous.”
Should beef cattle farmers go along with Trudeau’s plan, it would add extra costs that would lead to higher food prices and possibly food shortages.
Cows fed a diet richer in corn silage can reduce how much methane an animal emits; however, this adds costs.
As a natural course of digestion, as will all animals and humans, cows produce methane gas as a byproduct. Methane quickly breaks down in the atmosphere, but the Trudeau government says 31% of emissions from it come from beef and dairy cattle.