Livestock raising is one of the main drivers of deforestation.4(UN FAO, 2006)
Since
the 1990s approximately 90% of Amazonian deforestation has been due to
clearing land for grazing cattle or growing feed for livestock.5
In Australia, 91% of all tree clearing over a 20-year period has been done for livestock grazing.6(recent
report on a 20-year study commissioned by the Queensland government
by Mr. Gerald Bisshop, retired principal scientist of the Queensland
Department of Environment and Resources Management)
DESERTIFICATION
Desertification is caused by overgrazing and expansion of livestock crop-rowing areas.7
(TPN3 Rangeland Management in Arid Areas including the fixation of sand dunes, UNCCD, 2003)
Over 50% of the world’s soil erosion is caused by livestock, which leads to desertification.8
Some
75 billion tons of topsoil are being eroded annually due to
agricultural mismanagement, climate change, and livestock grazing. In
the United States alone, 54% of pasture land is overgrazed, with more
than 100 tons of topsoil lost per hectare per year.9
(A study presented by Professor John Crawford at the recent Carbon Farming Conference held in New South Wales, Australia)
In
2010, Iraq, China, Chad, Australia, and Mongolia, among others,
reported serious drought, with livestock grazing making conditions
worse.
Romm, J. (26. Januar 2009). NOAA stunner: Climate change “largely irreversible for 1000 years,” with permanent Dust Bowls in Southwest and around the globe. Ein Online-Artikel über einen Befund der National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]. Climate Progress blog. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://climateprogress.org/2009/01/26/noaa-climate-change-irreversible-1000-years-drought-dust-bowls/
Drought, wildfires put Brazil under environmental emergency (8. September 2010). MYsinchew.com. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.mysinchew.com/node/44603?tid=37
Ahmed, S.A., Diffenbaugh, N.S. and Hertel, T.W. (20. August 2009). Climate Volatility Deepens Poverty Vulnerability in Developing Countries. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von der Purdue University, News Website http://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2009b/090820DiffenbaughHertel.html#
Matson, J. (21. April 2010). A warming world could trigger earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes. Ein Online-Artikel in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: A Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences research. Scientific American [Elektronische Version]. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=no-link-now-between-eyjafjallajando-2010-04-21
Global warming could turn forests from sink to source of carbon emissions. (16. April 2009). Ein Online-Artikel über einen Bericht der International Union of Forest Research Organizations [IUFRO]. mongabay.com. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0416-forests.html
Finnish Environment Institute (2010). Soil contributes to climate warming more than expected - Finnish research shows a flaw in climate models. Universität von Helsinki. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=351875&lan=en
Adam, D. (14. Januar 2010). Arctic permafrost leaking methane at record levels, figures show. Ein Artikel über einen Befund von Paul Palmer, ein Wissenschaftler an der Edinburgh University. The Guardian. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/14/arctic-permafrost-methane
Corwin, J. A. (12. Oktober 2006). Russia: Siberia’s Once-Frozen Tundra Is Melting. Ein Online-Artikel über einen Befund von Dr. Katie Walter. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071976.html
Fitzpatrick, M. (6. Januar 2010). Methane release ‘looks stronger’. Ein Artikel über einen Befund von Professor Igor Semiletov, Leiter der International Siberian Shelf Study [ISSS], University of Alaska at Fairbanks, USA. BBC. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8437703.stm
Ljunggren, D. (29. Juli 2009). Arctic tundra hotter, boosts global warming: expert. Ein Artikel über die Forschungsergebnisse von Professor Greg Henry, University of British Columbia. Reuters. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE56S53E20090729
Return to previous Arctic conditions is unlikely (2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s [NOAA] Arctic Report Card 2010 Update. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/
Hansen, K. (27. Januar 2010). Arctic ‘Melt Season’ Is Growing Longer, New Research Demonstrates. NASA. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von Phsyorg.com http://www.physorg.com/news183836066.html
Water flowing through ice sheets accelerates warming, could speed up ice flow (3. November 2010). University of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences [CIRES]. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-ice-sheets.html
Greenland glacier calves island four times the size of Manhattan (6. August 2010). University of Delaware. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.physorg.com/news200326075.html
Lamont-Doherty (20. Juni 2010). New research sheds light on Antarctica’s melting Pine Island Glacier. British Antarctic Survey. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.physorg.com/news196255601.html
Stracansky, P. (13. November 2010). Fast Melting Glaciers Threaten Biodiversity. Inter Press Service [IPS]/International Federation of Environmental Journalists [IFEJ]/UNEP/CBD. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53552
Hance, J. (2. November 2009). Goodbye, snows of Kilimanjaro. Ein Artikel über den Befund von Proceedings of the National Academy of Science [PNAS] report. mongabay.com. Abgerufen am 11. Januar 2011 von http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1102-hance_kilimanjaro.html