Each Human Produces 2 Tonnes Of CO2 Annually Just By Eating And Defecating – Spanish Scientists Determine

Climate science studies know no bounds. I’m not making this up.

The Austrian online Der Standard reports here that Spanish scientists at the University Almeria have determined that the average European emits 2 tonnes of CO2 annually just though eating habits and excretion, this in a study appearing in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

The lead author of the study Amadeo Fernandez-Alba writes:

The entire food cycle has an impact on the climate. The treatment of sewage water contributes to this and thus must be taken into account.

According to Der Standard:

He urges consumers to not only think about health and pleasure when buying food, but also to pay attention to the environment.

The researchers studied the entire food cycle of an average Spanish man and the CO2 produced. The result was two tons per person, which is 20% of the average European’s total output. The worst for the climate are meat and milk products. Most of the greenhouse gases are emitted during the food production process – especially agriculture.

Dr Fernandez Alba says that fruits and vegetbles are the best . but they too can be problematic. The researchers say:

Consumers orient themselves less and less on seasonal production. Instead they increasingly want their strawberries and asparagus year-round. In addition, an increasing amount of tropical fruit is being consumed. That increases Co2 emissions from transport immensely.

Human excrement taken into account for the first time

For the first time, the researchers also studied greenhouse gases produced by human excrement. It turns out that this by-product is in second place not that far behind food production in GHG emissions. The scientists say:

The culprits here are mainly nitrogen and phosphorous amounts, and also gases that are produced by sewage treatment plants.

Expect Europe to start regulating our eating habits and inspecting what goes through the toilet – soon. Poor Europe has got nothing better to do.

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Update: Here’s more in English: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102131108.htm

14 responses to “Each Human Produces 2 Tonnes Of CO2 Annually Just By Eating And Defecating – Spanish Scientists Determine”

  1. R. de Haan

    Just stop eating and all our problems are solved.

    The entire CO2 based warming scare is as dead as it can be.

    Solar cycles modulated by Jupiter, Mercury and our Moon not only controls our ocean cycles but also geological cycles.

    Periods of low solar activity coincide with cooling oceans and a higher Dust Veil Index due to an increase in volcanic activity.

    A big eruption could darken our atmosphere for 18 months on a role.
    (Krakatau eruption of AC 546) so if you stock up food for 2 years, you will be fine.

  2. DirkH
  3. R. de Haan

    We are at the brink of losing our freedom to green demagogues who rather see us dead than alive.
    The time has come to kick some ass.

    The end of the Roman Empire wasn’t caused by eating and defecating populations.

    It was caused by the eruption of Krakatau in the year AC 546 and the volcanic dust blocked the sun for a period of 18 months.

    During that time temperatures dropped, all plant growth stopped, people and animals starved like flies and the Dark Ages began.

    Through history, similar (Laki, Tamborra) but shorter lived events occurred and we call this period the Little Ice Age.

    Today modern society would be able to survive a similar disaster but not if our power generation is based on wind and solar.

    The time has come put the Green Traitors of Humanity on trial.

    Studying cow farts and human excretion to “protect our environment” looks quite lunatic to me now we know the real threats that could end our civilization.

    The policies of our clueless political establishment almost beg for the re-establishment of the firing squad and the quillotine.

    Just to make matter clear, we are dealing with an “it’s us or them situation here.
    And if you have any doubt about this claim, please read
    http://green-agenda.com

  4. Patagon

    IgNobel prize candidate
    What a lot of crap!

  5. R. de Haan

    It’s the EU Pierre,
    We already have stickers on the food we buy in the supermarkets that provide information about the carbon footprint of the product.

    We really have to do something about this because the net is closing.

    Only the fact that Government has introduced a smoking ban and banned the 100 Watt light bulbs is ten bridges to far.

    It’s time to protest.

  6. R. de Haan

    For two years now I boycott any company engaged in the green madness.
    I also write to their management why I boycott their products and services.

    I know, it’s only me and they probably think that I am completely crazy but if more people follow my example somebody will come to his/her senses.

    I have also boycotted politics.
    Unfortunately there is no political party left that is not infected with the green flue so I stopped voting.

    Yes, life is a bitch.

    Screw them all.

    1. DirkH

      Ron, don’t forget companies need to sell product. If every consumer wants to be green and eco-conscious, the company will have to cater to that need. Look here, at Philips, harping about their “green cuisine”, i think it’s about “energy-efficient” appliances. click at the “green cuisine” video below…

      http://www.philips.de/index.page

      Do you notice HOW MANY appliances the people in this video use?

      What i want to say is it’s not Philips’ fault if people go all nutty about energy efficiency. They have to conform to the Zeitgeist to sell. If you don’t sell, you die. That’s the cold harsh reality for any company.

  7. R. de Haan

    World gone mad. (a broader perspective, please read all links)
    http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2010/11/world-gone-mad.html

  8. R. de Haan

    DirkH
    7. November 2010 at 17:52

    “What i want to say is it’s not Philips’ fault if people go all nutty about energy efficiency. They have to conform to the Zeitgeist to sell. If you don’t sell, you die. That’s the cold harsh reality for any company”.

    Total nonsense DirkH,
    Philips send it’s old lightning factories to China but not before the old staff trained the new chinese staff on the job.
    They even received EU grants for the move.

    They are nothing more but a bunch of hypocrites.

    As I said,

    Screw them all.

    1. DirkH

      Call it hypocritical, i call it economic necessity. A company can’t fight the political conditions – at most they can take some influence.

  9. R. de Haan

    Of course they can fight politics.
    The problem is that most of them are rent seekers.

    You can very well advertise your product as an energy saver without reference to the green madness.

    So the false green arguments can be left out.

    Today those companies investing in advertisement without reference to green, sustainable and environmental friendly have a competitive edge.
    The public is sick and tired of the green hoax.
    That’s why AGW ranks lowest at any poll.

    Green in fact is black. Black because it kills people and consumes power, resources and money without any results.

    I even dare to say that the entire green concept is not only a scam but a crime against humanity as well.

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