InfoAnda - Put kangaroos, camels on Australian eco-menu: scientists

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Indonesia military plane crash kills 24 | 6 April 2009
Pakistan fishermen struggling a month after floods | 3 September 2010
House passes $44B Homeland Security spending bill | 25 June 2009

Santa May Not Answer Letters This Year | 20 November 2009

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Put kangaroos, camels on Australian eco-menu: scientists

Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Search Search: Put kangaroos, camels on Australian eco-menu: scientists AFP - Sunday, January 4 SYDNEY (AFP) - - Saving the planet by eating kangaroos and wild camels may seem like pie in the sky, but the offbeat menu comes with a scientific stamp of approval in Australia. The aim in both cases is to reduce damage to the environment, but the reasoning behind the push to put the animals on the menu is sharply different. In the case of kangaroos, environmentalists say the national animal should become a dietary staple in place of cattle and sheep as part of the fight against global warming. The farm animals make a major contribution to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions simply by belching and farting, while kangaroos emit negligible amounts of dangerous methane gas. In other words, there should be more kangaroos and fewer farm animals. "For most of Australia's human history -- around 60,000 years -- kangaroo was the main source of meat," the government's top climate change adviser Professor Ross Garnaut noted in a major report on global warming recently. "It could again become important." In the case of camels, scientists say eating the imported animals would be one way of reducing the million-strong feral herd -- one of the largest on earth -- running amok in the fragile ecosystems of the outback. "Eat a camel today, I've done it," says Professor Murray McGregor, co-author of a three-year study on the humpbacked pests presented to the government last month. In each case, the scientists admit they face a struggle to change Australia's eating habits, but believe strongly in the need to somehow cut the numbers of sheep, cattle and camels. Garnaut's study concluded that by 2020, beef cattle and sheep numbers could be reduced by seven million and 36 million respectively, allowing for an increase in kangaroo numbers to 240 million by 2020, from 34 million now. He acknowledged, however, that there were some problems in this plan, including livestock and farm management issues, consumer resistance and the gradual nature of change in food tastes. The idea of farming kangaroos -- which appear on the Australian coat of arms -- for human consumption is distasteful to some, but many health-conscious Australians already eat kangaroo meat. "It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels, it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal," says Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies. A similar argument was put forward last month in an attempt to whet Australian appetities for camel meat. A three-year study found that Australia's population of more than a million feral camels is out of control and damaging fragile desert ecosystems, water sources, rare plants and animals. The Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, which produced the report presented to the federal government, said a good way to bring down the number of camels is to eat them. "It's beautiful meat. It's a bit like beef. It's as lean as lean, it's an excellent health food," said McGregor. Unlike the native kangaroo, camels were introduced into Australia as pack animals for the vast outback in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but were released into the wild as rail and road travel became more widespread. With few natural predators and vast sparsely-populated areas in which to roam, the population has soared to around a million and is now doubling about every nine years, the centre's Glenn Edwards told AFP. While putting camels on the menu could help reduce their numbers, and is one of the proposals in the report, Edwards admits it is unlikely that Australia can eat its way out of the problem. Hundreds of thousands of camels will have to be removed to bring the numbers down to a point where they cause minimal damage, he said. "I think (eating them) is an option that may work in some areas but it won't be the panacea," he said. The local market for camel meat would be limited and even given the fact that there is a large demand from some countries overseas it would be difficult to harvest and process the animals. "To commercially use camels in that way you need to have access to them -- so you need roads and, depending on how you are processing them, electricity and water. "Parts of the range have the infrastructure but other places are simply too remote, nobody lives out there." The only way to deal with the populations in those areas if they did not become commercially viable would be to shoot them from helicopters, he said, and leave them to rot. Switching from cattle and sheep to kangaroos also faces problems, said beef farmer Kelvin Brown. "In theory farming kangaroos is probably good because they are selective grazers, don't tend to overgraze country and have a good conversion rate of feed into meat," he said from his farm Ykicamoocow. But the practicalities would keep farmers on the hop. "You would need ten-feet (three-metre) high fencing similar to the deer industry," Brown said. Transporting kangaroos to the abattoir would also be fraught with difficulties. "You are dealing with an animal that isn't used to being touched or herded and apparently they do have quite high rates of heart attacks from fright and also tend to damage themselves quite easily, break legs, things like that. "So although this idea of farming kangaroos is good, probably the only way you could do it would be to shoot the kangaroos on the farm and have some system of butchering on site." Given the difficulties, it seems that kangaroos and camels will not become a staple of the Australian diet any time soon and environmentalists will have to look elsewhere for solutions to the planet's problems. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Enlarge Photo Australians are considering saving the planet by eating kangaroos and wild camels. Environmentalists say the national animal should become a dietary staple in place of cattle and sheep as part of the fight against global warming. Most Popular – Top Stories Viewed US steel industry in collapse, eyes government aid: report Rare Bugatti untouched for 50 years could fetch millions: report World's oldest person dies at the age of 115 Vogue editor biggest fashion flop of 08: Time Paulson blames global imbalances for credit crisis: report View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular

Other News on Sunday, 4 January 2009
Israeli tanks and troops fight Hamas in Gaza
Pakistan arrests former top Taliban figure: security official
Thousands protest in Europe at Gaza offensive | International |
Marines in combat still seek a better flak vest
Israeli ground troops have entered Gaza: army
Marley Songwriting Collaborator, Vincent Ford, Dies
Israeli strike on mosque 'kills 13, wounds 60'
Ghana opposition leader wins presidential election | International |
Strong quake hits off Indonesia's West Papua province: seismologists
S.Korea says domestic power prices too low
Sri Lanka presses on with fight against rebels
Search Called Off For Florida Mission Cruise Ship Crewman
Student Dressed As WWII-Era German Soldier Killed By Seattle Police
AirTran Airways Refuse To Board Nine Muslims
Actor Sam Shepard arrested for DUI in Illinois
Relative unknown to take lead in BBC's 'Dr Who'
Thunder of artillery signals ground push on Gaza
UN Security panel schedules meeting on Gaza fight
Brown plays down fresh bail-out for banks
Israeli ground troops invade Gaza to halt rockets
John Travolta's teenage son dies, autopsy planned
Amid Broadway woes, curtains up in China
Colo. gov names schools chief for Senate vacancy
Two powerful quakes rattle Indonesia
US blames Hamas for growing Mideast violence
Two of four newly appointed Senior Counsel are from AG’s Chambers
Denver schools chief named to fill Senate vacancy
Tsunami alert lifted after strong Indonesian quake
5.9 quake shakes northeast Afghanistan, Pakistan
Series of powerful quakes rock eastern Indonesia
Guam, focus of new US strategy, faces hurdles
Report: AT&T Degrading 2G Network Signal To Make Way For 3G
Guests for the Sunday TV news shows
Israeli tanks, soldiers invade Gaza Strip | International |
France leads alarm over Gaza, splits with US
Taiwan believes China may cut missiles aimed at it | International |
Gazprom urges Ukraine to resume talks on gas crisis
UN Security Council fails to agree on Gaza ceasefire call
Quake hits Indonesia's West Papua, four dead | International |
UN Security Council fails to agree on Gaza statement
Ukraine warns EU of 'serious gas problems' in 10 days
Invading Israeli troops battle Hamas fighters in Gaza
Japan PM: No snap poll before '09/10 budget passes | International |
Put kangaroos, camels on Australian eco-menu: scientists
UN Security Council meets on Gaza
NYC mayor heads to Israel to 'show his support'
Nepal boat sinks, 29 missing: police | International |
Vietnam workers strike over alleged abuses: reports
China violates accord with Japan over disputed gas field: report
Japan Inc. says recovery unlikely this year: polls
Indian minister to take Mumbai evidence to US: reports
Chinese manufacturing shrinks in December
Sri Lankan troops move on Tiger's military base in jungle
Japan's beleaguered PM says no plan for snap election
Japan's beleaguered PM says no plan for snap election
Base jumper survives 60-metre fall with failed parachute
Bank of Japan chief eyes action on strong yen
China arrested almost 1,300 in Muslim west last year: report
S.Korea c.bank vows rate policy to support economy
35 missing in Nepal boat accident: local official
SKorean parliament clashes leave dozens injured: officials
Fireworks factory blast kills 13 in eastern China
Blast at China fireworks factory kills 13: state media
Penn, Hawkins, Israeli film win critics' awards | Entertainment |
Actor Sam Shepard charged with drunken driving | Entertainment |
Series of powerful quakes kills 4 in Indonesia
Series of powerful quakes kills 3 in Indonesia
Hotel collapses after powerful Indonesian quakes
Vilnius, a 2009 European capital of culture
Spoleto Festival USA unveils modest 2009 schedule
Critics pick 'Waltz With Bashir' as best '08 film
Female suicide bomber kills 35 near Baghdad shrine
Female bomber kills 35 at Baghdad shrine | International |
Israeli Arabs on Gaza firing line lack shelter
India to give U.S. Mumbai evidence against Pakistan | International |
Financial crisis a boon to money management websites
Russia-Ukraine gas row disrupts supplies to EU | International |
South Africa's anti-apartheid activist Helen Suzman buried | International |
Thai police to charge club owner over deadly fire
Two more Singaporeans among Bangkok blaze victims
Police: Gunbattle kills 7 in Indian Kashmir
SKorea's opposition party sues parliament speaker
Opposition: No hope for future of Myanmar
2 dead, dozens missing in Nepal boat accident
Sri Lanka pushes ahead with war on rebels
Captured rebel land in Sri Lanka deserted
Female bomber at Shiite shrine in Baghdad kills 38
Africa hails Ghana election as democratic success | International |
New York mayor, in Israel, backs strikes on Hamas
Russia wants warships stationed around the world | International |
Demonstrators try to reach US Embassy in Beirut
Chinese manufacturing shrinks in December
Samurai archery, an ancient sport, still thrives
Pakistan army discovers van packed with explosives
CAN! ambassadors bring YOG spirit to Orchard Rd
Official: Near-freezing cold kills 20 in India
Fund—raising initiative raises S$60,000 by collecting recycled items
Club owner to be charged as Thai fire death toll hits 62: police
CAAS sends condolences to family of Leslie Yeo
Man's Last Gift To Widow, $10m Winning Lottery Ticket
Recycling food waste set to become more popular with growing awareness
Californian Is Now Officially World's Oldest Living Person
Castro Optimistic About Obama Administration
French ski resorts get a lift in business
Ticket Bought By Man On Day Of His Death Wins $10m For His Widow
L.A. Woman Is Now Oldest Person On Earth
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01