ranching
Newsletter
Forests versus cattle: which is more profitable for the Amazon?
A recent shift in the Amazon rainforest could see trees outcompeting cattle ranching as a more profitable use of land, thanks to the burgeoning carbon credit market.
In short:
- Companies like Re.green are buying large tracts of Amazonian land for forest restoration, aiming to sell carbon credits rather than engage in traditional cattle ranching.
- This new approach involves planting native trees on degraded pastures and maintaining them permanently to store carbon.
- Skeptics exist, especially among local ranchers, but the worsening effects of climate change might push more to consider this alternative.
Key quote:
“We are killing pasture that a lot of farmers need."
— Josias Araújo, a former cowboy who now works in reforestation
Why this matters:
The transformation of degraded pastures into forested land represents a potential shift in economic priorities from cattle to carbon credits and serves as an important strategy in combating climate change. Protecting and restoring the Amazon could provide significant ecological and economic benefits, encouraging sustainable practices that could extend beyond local communities to global markets.
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Newsletter
Texas rancher battles orphaned oil wells
Texas rancher Schuyler Wight is taking a stand against the pollution caused by orphaned oil and gas wells that is endangering both his ranch and the state's environment.
In short:
- More than 8,400 orphan wells dot Texas, causing environmental and health hazards as they leak harmful substances.
- Despite state efforts to plug these wells, the backlog and emerging issues mean many remain a threat, including on Wight's ranch.
- Ranchers like Wight, facing immediate impacts, argue for more aggressive state action to tackle the problem effectively.
Key quote:
“I know you think it’s just a wasteland, but we live out there. We have to work out there. We have to drink that water. Our cattle have to drink that water.”
— Schuyler Wight, rancher
Why this matters:
The unchecked spread of orphan wells, abandoned by defunct or untraceable operators, have been left to the whims of time and erosion, often without proper closure, leading to a variety of environmental risks. For example, the contaminants can seep into groundwater, posing severe risks to drinking water supplies and agricultural water sources. This contamination has been linked to an array of health issues ranging from respiratory problems to neurological disorders, depending on the nature and concentration of the pollutants.
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Newsletter
Cows produce a lot of methane. Can we reduce that waste?
There are around 1.5 billion cows on the planet being raised as livestock for things like meat and dairy — and they’re a climate problem we’ve struggled to solve.
Can Point Reyes National Seashore support wildlife and ranching amid climate change?
The National Park Service is working with a local tribe to determine how to safeguard the tule elk, who compete with cattle for forage in the dry season. A recent proposal to remove a fence has ranchers and dairy owners up in arms.
Investors continue to speculate on Colorado water
Private investors seeking to sell groundwater from parched parts of Colorado to a Denver-area water utility are spending tens of thousands of dollars to elect candidates to the water boards that govern the constrained supplies.
Newsletter
Cowboys and vegetarians: Why American rightwingers see beef as a birthright
Meat and masculinity have been bound together in the US for centuries – and that’s no accident.
Newsletter
The new livestock farm is a forest, too
Silvopasture, the ancient practice of integrating trees and pastureland, is making a comeback as a way for farms to improve animal health while benefiting the climate.
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