Eat Kangaroo To Save the Planet: Australian Study Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 08.11.08
photo by Ian Sanderson
A new report from the University of New South Wales says that Australia should be farming kangaroos instead of sheep and cattle if it wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. According to the study, if Australia replaced its 7 million cattle and 36 million sheep with 175 million kangaroos is could lower national greenhouse gas emissions by 3% a year while producing the same amount of meat. Reuters provides the details:
Methane Emissions From Kangaroos ‘Negligible’
The reasoning? While methane emissions from cattle and sheep account for 11% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions, kangaroos’ digestion is different and produces negligible amounts of methane.
Such a change would, however, require not just a shift in culinary taste but in attitude. “The change will require large cultural and social adjustments and reinvestment. One of the impediments to change is protective legislation and the status of the kangaroo as a national icon,” the report authors' asset.
Currently, Australia has the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world: 28.1 tonnes per person.
How About Door Number Three?
If you were waiting for the pro-vegetarian plug, here it is: While there is solid logic in shifting from sheep and cattle to kangaroo to reduce methane emissions, how about at least reducing the amount of meat you eat in general, if not stop eating it altogether? Doing so is probably one of the easiest ways (assuming you don’t have a dietary condition that contraindicates doing so) to reduce your personal carbon emissions. That too may take a shift in culinary taste and personal attitude, but the planet will thank you for it.
via :: Reuters and :: CleanTechnica
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Saltimbocca!
Ah, wouldn't moving towards veganism but much better?
Not only would eating less meat reduce carbon emissions, it would also reduce the amount of water (we all know of Australia's water issues) used to raise livestock. The University of New South Wales should perform a study on the impact on carbon emissions and resources if, say, an additional 5% of its population went vegetarian. I guarantee it would reduce carbon emissions more than 3% a year.
What does Roo meat taste like? That might be the reason there isn't much of it being raised.
This is just wrong. Seriously, on a level equal to eating my own cat.
Hooray! Someone is talking sense. Also there MUST be added to the equation that soft footed animals such as kangaroos cause little or no damage to the vegetation. Hard hoofed animals such as cows are causing massive erosion problems. Kangaroo meat is 99% fat free so it is better for all health and tastes fantastic. I eat it regularly and it tastes like rich best cuts of beef. I would love to see this industry take off! Lower prices would be great too. An all round win.
How about Rabbits. Wild austwalian wabbits!
being Australian, i know exactly why this idea won't take off. kangaroo meat is readily available in aus, but most don't eat it, citing that they "can't eat a kangaroo". i think the kangaroo is to much of national symbol for most people.
....but it is one hell of a tasty national symbol.
What's more, kangaroo tastes great! You can get steaks really cheaply here in Australia and they are far more tender than beef.
Just try not to think of Skippy when eating...
what does roo taste like?
I vote for veganism too. It doesn't make sense to slaughter something else just because its poo is less gassy. Vote for the planet AND the animals.
Uhh.... people associate steer as a symbol of Texas, and they're perfectly comfortable eating the hell out of the steer. Why should Australia be squeamish about chowin' down on some marsupial goodness?
Chomp!
Do you suppose the Australians will also use Kangaroo milk or cheese and Kangaroo wool?
I am a meat eater. I have reduced my meat intake in the last year by about 1/3 and intend to go further, but I will always eat meat. Anyway, my husband and I went to Asheville NC, for out 5th anniversary last month. We ate kangaroo for the first time. It is wonderful. It was so good!
I'm either sticking with chicken or going vegetarian.
To reduce green house gases the world population ought to be controlled. Sad thing is those that can least afford raising children are conceiving the most. Singapore had a good model that basically means tested perspective parents. It was so successful that had to modify it to increase the population....they are very strict on immigration. Pragmatism is not as popular as suffering and starvation.
To reduce green house gases the world population ought to be controlled. Sad thing is those that can least afford raising children are conceiving the most. Singapore had a good model that basically means tested perspective parents. It was so successful that had to modify it to increase the population....they are very strict on immigration. Pragmatism is not as popular as suffering and starvation.
To reduce green house gases the world population ought to be controlled. Sad thing is those that can least afford raising children are conceiving the most. Singapore had a good model that basically means tested perspective parents. It was so successful that had to modify it to increase the population....they are very strict on immigration. Pragmatism is not as popular as suffering and starvation.
umm... why would u wanna eat a poor defenseless kangaroo when soy can make the ground better for growing crops. i mean george washington carver discovered that peanuts (another legume) is great for soil and so is soy so WHY NOT TOFU
I appreciate all the vegan comments, which make more sense, creating far more of a dent in global pollution. Why even post this article? 3%? Isn't that rather negligible compared to 18%? Why aren't there more vegan articles on treehugger? It's the simplest thing you can do while making the most impact. We need to stop being so stubborn about eating meat, and maybe we'll actually make some headway in cleaning up the environment...
Come on people! Please go vegetarian or vegan for goodness sakes! We DO NOT need to feed our faces by eating animals...meat is murder...and as to curbing the overpopulation of humans, why can't people do brith control?? If you have a hard time finding food for yourself, then why keep having more kids only to see them starve? Cross those legs people!