Joseph A Monaco

I had not heard of silvopasture before now, which is the reason why I selected this action. There are several benefits from silvopasture for the economy and the environment. It seems like a simple idea that providing trees and livestock on land can improve things spanning from fertilizers to more nutrients, and the trees can even help protect the livestock from some weather. Based on my quick research of this topic, it seems the only downside is that it requires the use of a large area of land, and it takes some extra effort to maintain it. However, it seems that livestock farmers would benefit more from this extra work than they would lose.

I personally do not fear or despair climate change, as living in that state does not help solve any of these issues. I do recognize the impacts, and understand how negative of an impact climate change can have on the world in severe scenarios. However, I do not worry about it in my day-to-day life. I do what I can personally, and read what I can so that I understand how the Earth may change in my lifetime. The only thing that concerns me is the lack of agreement between everyone on this issue, as some people even bluntly think it's not real. There are countless data out there and experiments that prove this is real, and likely accelerated by humans, and people can only continue to ignore it for so long.

It is more expensive and requires more resources and energy to raise cattle, pigs, etc constantly throughout our lives. There are mixed data regarding how eating meat affects the human body. Some studies will conclude that it is healthy and provides many nutrients vital to humans, and others will conclude that humans should limit the amount of meat, specifically red meat, they eat due to a number of health concerns. The science around how these animals impact the climate is more agreed upon, as the release of methane is becoming a bigger problem as the population forces the number of farm animals to increase. Methane traps heat at a far greater rate than carbon dioxide does, though it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time. Nevertheless, fixing the methane issue is something we as an international society must figure out.

In regard to methane digesters, it seems to me that inventing and innovating new ways to prevent methane from escaping to the atmosphere at the same rate it does now will help decrease the rate of global warming. I also liked the idea that this reserve can then be used as fuel or a source of electricity, making the idea of methane digesters more appealing.

All of the seafood I buy here in Oregon is either farmed Atlantic Salmon or wild Sockeye Salmon. The farmed Atlantic Salmon is generally viewed as safer as there is no risk of bycatch, however, there can be concerns as to what food the fish are receiving. Sockeye Salmon is fished in many different ways, and just by looking at what's for sale in the store, you may not always know how it was caught. It is best to ask the butcher if they know, as if it is caught in an unsustainable way, like with longline fishing or net trolling, then it is better to pick the farmed option.