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DUP Statement:

HAMILTON HITS OUT AT 'CRAZY' UN CLIMATE CHANGE COMMENTS ON MEAT CONSUMPTION

Strangford DUP MLA Councillor Simon Hamilton has criticised comments by the United Nation's top climate scientist urging people to cut their levels of meat consumption as a way to combat climate change. Councillor Hamilton branded the remarks by Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as an attempt at the invasion of personal choice and insensitive towards farmers and the meat production industry. Commenting, Simon Hamilton said,

"It seems that there are some who are so wrapped up in the whole idea of climate change that they will say anything regardless of the consequences of their comments. Dr Pachauri and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is well respected and the IPCC has even on the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts yet these remarks about cutting meat consumption could only be regarded as crazy.

It is obvious that Dr Pachauri has given little or no thought for people employed in the meat industry whenever he tried to interfere in people's life choices by telling them not to eat meat. In Northern Ireland alone, the meat industry employs thousands of people and generates millions of pounds annually in revenue. They face enough difficulties sustaining their industry with pressure on prices and challenges to their exports without comments like these that will only serve to further undermine the meat sector.

What is also being ignored is the fact that whilst cattle do emit large quantities of methane, there are ongoing attempts to reduce these levels through changing diets or techniques like anaerobic digestion. These new ideas are actually working with methane emission from cattle dropping in the UK alone by 13% since 1990.

Most people will consider these comments to be both an outrageous attempt to control people's personal choices and utterly insensitive to the many who depend upon producing meat for the rest of us to enjoy for their livelihoods."

TUV Statement:

Is this man serious?

Statement by TUV MEP Jim Allister:-

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A little knowledge in the hands of Simon Hamilton MLA produces lubricous utterances. How else could you describe this declaration on a basic agricultural issue from the urban Strangford MLA:-

"What is also being ignored is the fact that whilst cattle do emit large quantities of methane, there are ongoing attempts to reduce these levels through changing diets or techniques like anaerobic digestion."

If Simon has serious aspirations about being the DUP vote-splitting candidate in the European election, then he'd be advised to learn some basic facts about cattle. Cows can't be fitted with anaerobic digesters! Nor can anaerobic digestion reduce natural methane production.
Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. In fact the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production.
So, anaerobic digestion is a scientific process for dealing with animal waste, but it cannot influence the amount of methane produced by a cow. Basic, but not basic enough for Mr Hamilton!"

DUP Statement:

"DOES ALLISTER DEPEND ON WIKIPEDIA FOR HIS RESEARCH?" ASKS HAMILTON

Commenting today, Strangford DUP MLA Councillor Simon Hamilton said, "I note that maverick MEP Jim Allister has taken a keen interest in my recent statement concerning crazy comments by a top UN climate change scientist calling for a cut in meat consumption and specifically on my remarks about anaerobic digestion.

Jim seems to be suggesting that I am wrong to say that anaerobic digestion could help the agriculture industry to address its emissions issues. Perhaps before releasing his own verbal gaseous emissions, Jim should have looked at the expert and informed opinions on the subject expressed by the likes of the National Farmers Union.

It would seem that Jim likes to cultivate an image as a smart Alec, know-it-all yet I note that his explanation of the process of anaerobic digestion may not entirely be his own. In his statement Jim said,

"Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. In fact the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production".

The Wikipedia entry for anaerobic digestion states,

"Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. It is widely used to treat wastewater sludges and organic wastes because it provides volume and mass reduction of the input material. As part of an integrated waste management system, anaerobic digestion reduces the emission of landfill gas into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a renewable energy source because the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production helping replace fossil fuels". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_digestion)

Is it a merely a coincidence that so many of the words in the Wikipedia entry appear in Jim's statement in exactly the same order? I seriously doubt it! Surely someone of Jim's supposed stature wouldn't rely upon a web based encyclopaedia for his information. Now that would be basic!

I am glad though that Jim is responding to my statements. However, I and the taxpayers of Northern Ireland would also welcome a response from Jim on the series of questions I posed to him several weeks ago about his use of public funds. It is sad that to date Jim has chosen to be so selective in what elements of my statements he responds to".