研究揭示乳制品和奶牛放屁对环境的影响

研究揭示乳制品和奶牛放屁对环境的影响

The carbon impact of dairy butter can be more than three-and-a-half times that of its plant-based equivalents, according to a new report — with methane-producing dairy cows partly to blame.

根据一份新的报告，乳制品黄油对碳的影响可能是其植物性同类产品的3.5倍以上，而生产甲烷的奶牛要负部分责任。

With food production thought to be one of the largest causes of global environmental change, scientists carried out tests comparing plant-based spreads and margarines against dairy-based equivalents.

由于食品生产被认为是造成全球环境变化的最大原因之一，科学家们进行了测试，将植物性食品和人造黄油与乳制品进行了对比。

They found that for each pound of product, the ‘mean’ CO2 equivalent for plant-based spreads was 7.3lbs — compared to a staggering 26.7lb for dairy-based products.

他们发现，每一磅产品的“平均”二氧化碳当量为7.3磅，而以植物为基础的产品为26.7磅。

This was an increase of more than three-and-a-half times, based on analysis of 212 plant-based spreads and margarines across 21 North American and European markets and 21 dairy butters.

根据对21个北美和欧洲市场的212种植物黄油和人造黄油以及21种乳制品黄油的分析，这一数字增长了3.5倍以上。

With the production of raw milk — the key ingredient in dairy butter — is responsible for 38 percent of the greenhouse gases coming from enteric emissions, or in other words, the methane caused by cows burping and breaking wind.

生牛奶是奶制黄油的关键成分，其生产产生的温室气体中有38% 来自肠道排放，换句话说，就是奶牛打嗝和放屁所产生的甲烷。

In fact, just one 8.8oz pack of dairy butter equates to 2.2lbs of cow emissions (2.2lb CO2 eq).

事实上，一包8.8盎司的奶油，就相当于2.2磅的牛的排放量(2.2磅的二氧化碳当量)。

And while carbon dioxide usually gets the bad rap, methane is about 80 times more powerful at trapping heat and is responsible for 25 percent of global warming.

虽然二氧化碳通常被认为是不好的，但甲烷吸收热量的能力大约是其80倍，并且对全球变暖负有25% 的责任。

The report, written by a group of scientists based on a study of Upfield’s margarines, has been published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

这份报告是由一组科学家基于对上菲尔德人造黄油的研究而撰写的，已经发表在《国际生命周期评估杂志》上。

“In order to achieve emissions targets designed to limit global warming to 1.5° by 2050, there needs to be a fundamental transformation of our food system. In Western countries especially, we currently rely too heavily on meat and dairy,” said Sally Smith, Head of Sustainability at Upfield.

“为了实现到2050年将全球变暖控制在1.5°以内的排放目标，我们需要对粮食系统进行根本性的改革。特别是在西方国家，我们目前过于依赖肉类和奶制品。”Upfield的可持续发展主管萨莉?史密斯(Sally Smith)表示。

“It is our responsibility as a forward-thinking company to understand and act to address the impact of our plant-based products on the environment. A shift to regenerative agricultural practices will be key for both arable and dairy farmers. Robust lifecycle assessments help ensure that our approach is data-driven and grounded on the latest scientific evidence.”

“作为一家具有前瞻性思维的公司，我们有责任理解并采取行动解决我们以植物为基础的产品对环境的影响。 向可再生农业模式的转变对于耕地和奶牛场的农民来说都很关键。 健壮的生命周期评估有助于确保我们的方法是数据驱动的，并以最新的科学证据为基础。”

The study revealed cattle feed production and livestock rearing — including cow-related burps, farts and manure management — contributed significantly to climate change impacts, with a higher impact than most other factors.

研究发现，牛饲料生产和牲畜饲养——包括与牛相关的打嗝、放屁和粪便管理——对气候变化的影响显著，其影响高于大多数其他因素。

Packaging for plant-based spreads makes up 8 percent of its emissions compared to 1 percent for butter, with the latter often wrapped in a lightweight paper compared to a tub.

以植物为基础的酱料的包装占其总排放量的8%，而以黄油为基础的酱料的包装通常用比较轻便的纸包装，占其总排放量的1%。

“As our products generally have a significantly lower carbon footprint, use less water and less land, we have an opportunity to help people understand the impact that food choices have on the environment and therefore help them to make a more informed choice that is better for the planet,” Smith continued.

史密斯继续说道: “由于我们的产品通常碳足印较低，用水较少，土地较少，我们有机会帮助人们了解食物选择对环境的影响，从而帮助他们做出更明智的选择，这对地球更有利。”。

The life cycle assessment of Upfield’s margarines and spreads is in line with growing consumer attitudes towards meat, dairy and plant-based alternatives, which continue to prompt debate.

对 Upfield 人造黄油和涂料的生命周期评估，与消费者对肉类、乳制品和植物性替代品日益增长的态度是一致的，这继续引起争论。

It follows separate research by Dr. Hannah Ritchie, from the University of Oxford, who concluded the “eating local” mantra was a “misguided piece of advice” when discussing climate change.

在此之前，牛津大学的汉娜 · 里奇博士进行了另一项研究，她总结说，在讨论气候变化问题时，“吃本地食品”是一个“错误的建议”。

Her study revealed transport emissions are often a very small percentage of food’s total emissions – only 6 percent globally.

她的研究显示，交通运输的排放通常只占食品总排放的很小一部分——全球仅占6%。