Pastoralists in Kenya, rice farmers in India, and industrial feedlot operators in the U.S. have all contended with the increased frequency of drought and erratic weather. New agricultural ideas and actions are essential amid rising climate stress, a growing human population, widespread degradation of ecosystems, and rampant food insecurity; nearly one billion people regularly don’t get enough to eat. Read more
Mia Macdonald
Mia MacDonald is executive director, Brighter Green, which works to raise awareness of and encourage policy action on issues that span the environment, animals, and sustainability.
Follow @brightergreenNYThe Global Climate Crisis & Animal Agriculture: Doha and Beyond
Delegates from the world’s governments, and a range of scientists, advisers, and advocates have gathered in Doha, Qatar for the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP18) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As the conference enters its final days, they’ll be working to hammer out a deal that paves the way for a new global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
Most of negotiators at COP18 are looking at fossil fuels and energy inefficiency as the main culprits in the Earth’s warming and the cause of more frequent droughts, floods, and intensifying and unpredictable weather events (like Superstorm Sandy). Unfortunately, there’s been almost no attention to the negative effects of the industrial food system–and particularly intensive animal agriculture–on the global climate. Read more