I've said before cattle is a billion $ industry here. In 2006 the state made $1.1 billion. Many of the sales were to: Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas. According to MT DEQ. (photo by Jason Stajich)This billion $ industry is destroying the native landscape. The home of wildlife. Here's a run down of how much land is being destroyed for this non-native invasive species. Montana itself is comprised of 93 million acres.
- 38 million acres is pasture and range land. That's more than a third of the state!
- 18 million is used for crops. (What a waste when it could be used for livestock :P)
- Up to 13,000 acres a year are becoming ranch land for livestock.
Cattle is a huge issue across the entire U.S. I was reading an article in the IR that the US exports of milk is down from 11% to 5%, which means there is too much milk b/c there are too many cows. So, the solution? Kill over 100,000 cows across the country! Surprisingly or not, Montana isn't slaughtering any.
The cattle industry is all about greed. Cattle are not a native species and shouldn't be here. Nature agrees. In March and April Montana was hit by blizzards causing 4,000 livestock in Powder River and Carter counties to die. More died in Glacier, Teton, and Lewis and Clark counties.
Too much milk? That sounds a bit off. Poor cows, we ought to treat them with more respect; they are nurturing our bodies and give us strength. But you are bringing out an important point: a huge amount of land is used for cattle - land that could be used for grains and other crops. And, I've heard (correct me if I am wrong), that all the live stock in the States generate more green houses gases (methane) than all of the cars on the road...
ReplyDeleteHere's an appreciative view on cow milk and health: http://www.thinkvedic.com/2009/04/16/questions-answered-about-milk/