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Friday, January 24, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/europe/arla-cows-given-methane-reducing-supplements-brits-call-for-boycott/

Europe

Arla cows given “methane-reducing supplements” – Brits call for boycott

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 3 December 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Arla considers its own dairy cows to be major "environmental culprits".
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After Arla began boasting that it feeds British dairy cows the supplement Boaver to help them fart and belch less, and thus release less methane into the atmosphere, tens of thousands of Britons and people from other countries have called for a boycott of the dairy giant’s products.

Notably, supplements similar to Boaver have been developed with funding from ultra-globalist and multi-billionaire Bill Gates and it is reported that the long-term health effects of the supplement are unknown – and that it may even be directly harmful to health.

On social media, huge numbers of people have joined calls to boycott the dairy giant’s products, loudly declaring that they will not support a company that feeds its animals what they say are experimental and unnatural supplements and claims that cows or other animals pose a threat to the climate.

Arla, in turn, claims that the disgruntled consumers are spreading “misinformation” and that the data on possible health risks to animals or humans is “completely false”.

“The information spreading online surrounding our link to Bill Gates is completely false and claims relating to his involvement in our products is inaccurate”, they defend, pointing out that Gates does not appear to have any direct connection to Boaver in particular, but has funded the development of another and very similar methane-reducing feed additive through the company Rumin8.

The fact that Gates does not seem to be personally involved in this particular scandal does not seem to reassure the outraged British, with many stressing that they will never buy Arla products again, and urging those around them to take the same stance.

“Climate change requires urgent action”

It is noteworthy that Arla has long taken a peculiar view of its own operations in Sweden, describing “methane emissions from animals as one of the dairy industry’s biggest climate challenges”. As early as 2022, it also announced that it will also give Boaver to Swedish dairy cows for alleged climate-saving purposes.

“Climate change requires urgent action… This is a great example of innovative scientific solutions and actions we are taking to create a sustainable and resilient future for dairy. It will be exciting to see how far this will take us”, it said.

Following the recent public outcry against the milk giant and the supplement, Arla Sweden has issued a new press release stating that “Boaver has the potential to reduce methane emissions from cows and is part of our work to reduce the climate footprint of our products”.

“Our commitment to reducing our climate impact is unwavering, but we would never do anything to jeopardize the health of consumers or the well-being of animals”, it further claims, lamenting the large amount of “misinformation” circulating online.

“Used in 25 countries”

According to Arla, Boaver cannot be passed on to humans when they consume dairy products, is considered safe and it further claims that there is no evidence that the supplement harms animals.

“Boaver is specifically designed to be broken down in the cow’s digestive system and quickly decomposes into naturally occurring compounds already present in the cow’s stomach. This means it does not pass from the cow into the milk. Boaver has been developed over 15 years and is used in around 25 countries for more than 200,000 cows”, it continues.

However, many seem to be unimpressed with Arla’s promises that the supplement is good and harmless, and a selection of the criticisms and their outcomes can be found below:

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/denmark/new-research-on-the-bovaer-supplement-amid-a-wave-of-criticism/

Denmark

New research on the bovaer supplement amid a wave of criticism

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 15 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Danish Animal Welfare organization argues that cows risk being excluded from grazing pastures due to bovaer.
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Further research will be carried out on the highly controversial feed additive bovaer, researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have confirmed. The decision is based on the widespread criticism of the methane-reducing additive.

From the beginning of the year, all Danish dairy farms with more than 50 cows must use methane-reducing supplements in their feed. This can be done by adding more fat to the feed or by using the new supplement bovaer for 80 days per year. Swedish Arla has recently faced harsh criticism for its use of bovaer, with many calling for a boycott of the company.

The decision has been welcomed by some dairy farmers, but also faced strong criticism, especially against the bovaer, from, among others, the Danish Dyrenes Beskyttelse.

– We don’t know how it will affect them in the long term. At the same time, cows risk being locked up in stables all year round because the effect of the substance is more uncertain when they go to pasture, the organization states.

“Focus on animal welfare”

Earlier this week, Danish farmers also protested against, among other things, climate taxes, but also the compulsion to use bovaer for their cows.

Due to the widespread criticism, more research is being planned on the impact of bovaer on the health of cows, as well as on the milk and meat of the animals that receive the supplement.

– In the trials we have done so far, the focus has been on the effect on methane, feed intake and milk yield. Therefore, we will focus on animal welfare in the trials we will do in the new year, and we also need new research that provides a better understanding of what happens in the cow’s rumen when we use Bovaer and other effective methane-reduced feed additives, he tells Danish tjekdet.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/denmark/danish-farmers-protest-against-climate-taxes-and-bovaer/

Denmark

Danish farmers protest against climate taxes and bovaer

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 15 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
– I won't be feeding my cows with bovaer, that's for sure, says farmer Thorbjørn Thomsen
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On Monday, Danish farmers protested against new climate taxes and rules that they say make farming in the country more difficult and worse. Among other things, the protests were directed against the criticized feed additive bovaer, which farmers are now forced to use to reduce methane emissions.

Last year, the Danish government agreed on a new climate agreement with the aim of making Denmark “green”. One of the targets is to reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture by 13,780 tons per year, to be achieved through a carbon tax on farmers.

The No FFF demonstration, which stands for “No Food, No Farmers, No Future”, was organized in several Danish cities on Monday. Farmers drove their tractors to Aalborg, Kolding, Holstebro and Aarhus, among others.

The farmers are demanding the removal of all taxes and regulations that make it difficult to farm and raise animals in Denmark. They also want car and registration fees to be abolished, the green tripartite agreement to be stopped and no more solar parks to be built on agricultural land.

Demand for methane-reducing supplements

A significant part of the protests is directed against the much-criticized feed additive bovaer. Since January 1, all dairy farms in Denmark with more than 50 cows must use methane-reducing supplements in their feed.

– I won’t be feeding my cows with bovaer, that’s for sure, farmer Thorbjørn Thomsen told Danish state broadcaster DR.

Arla has recently faced strong criticism after boasting that it feeds British dairy cows the dietary supplement bovaer. Many Britons have called for a boycott of the company’s products and openly declared that they will not support a company that gives its animals what they consider to be experimental and unnatural supplements. In Sweden, too, criticism has been noticeable, and initiatives such as Mejerikollen have been launched to help consumers avoid dairy products containing bovaer.

Not wanting to restrict traffic

In several European countries, demonstrations against taxes and regulations on agriculture have taken place under the slogan No Farmers, No Food. However, the Danish demonstration is not supported by the major official agricultural organizations.

– We don’t want to be part of taking ordinary Danes hostage on this issue. There are some things we are not happy with, but we are not in favor of restricting traffic for that reason, says Torben Farum, vice president of the agricultural organization Agilix in Northern Jutland.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/professor-of-climatology-95-of-forest-fires-are-caused-by-humans/

World

Professor of climatology: “95% of forest fires are caused by humans”

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 14 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
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The fires in California, especially in and around Los Angeles, are not caused by climate change but by human activity. That’s according to a recent study that reviewed decades of fire incidents. Whether through carelessness, accidents or intentional acts, humans are behind the overwhelming majority of fires.

John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at the University of California, Merced, has analyzed three decades of fire data from Los Angeles County. His research shows that most fires in the area are caused by human activity, NBC News reports.

– More than 95% of these are human-ignited fires. Arson is among the causes, but most human-caused fires are not intentional, Abatzoglou explains.

According to his analysis, vehicles and other equipment are the most common causes of fires in the area between 1992 and 2020. Sparks from faulty machinery or heat from engines can quickly ignite dry vegetation, especially during the hot and dry months of summer.

However, Mr. Abatzoglou stresses that changes in the weather, such as strong winds, can contribute to exacerbating the conditions that make fires more difficult to control, but they are not the primary cause of fires.

Poor maintenance of power lines and infrastructure problems are other examples of factors contributing to the current and perhaps most devastating fires in California’s history.

The statistics seemingly support a growing criticism of simplistic explanations that refer only to climate change.

Nonchalant political governance

California’s authorities have long been questioned for what many believe is their inability to address the problems and work preventively. As recently as 2020, the state experienced one of its worst fire seasons ever, with millions of acres burning and thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

The state’s criticized governor, Gavin Newsom (D), has previously highlighted climate change as a key factor behind the growing problems with fires in the state. At the same time, there are growing calls for more pragmatic solutions that address the human factors behind the fires.

Critics of the theory that climate change is the main cause of the fires say the focus should shift to human behavior. The dryness and heat that make areas particularly vulnerable to fires are exacerbated by poor infrastructure maintenance, carelessness and illegal actions.

The impact of eucalyptus trees

Eucalyptus trees, common in many parts of the world and especially in California, have been shown to have a significant impact on forest fires. The trees contain large amounts of oils that are extremely flammable – making them particularly risky in hot and dry conditions.

Research has shown that eucalyptus oils, released at high temperatures, can create a kind of ‘fire torch’ that makes the fire spread faster. In some cases, it has also been shown that these trees can help make forest fires more intense, acting as a form of “fire torch” rather than a barrier.

Eucalyptus trees arrived in California in the 19th century, mainly via migrants from Australia. The trees were initially introduced as a solution to provide fast-growing trees for paper production and fuel.

By the early 1900s, thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees were planted with the encouragement of the state government. In modern-day California, and particularly in Los Angeles, eucalyptus is a common feature of the landscape, with large stands in both urban and more remote areas.

Arson is part of the problem

Arson is another part of the problem. Authorities in California report that individuals sometimes intentionally set fires on land for a variety of reasons, including insurance fraud, revenge or pure vandalism.

At the same time, experts point out that many fires are accidental and could be prevented with better training and safety practices. According to Mr. Abatzoglou, much of the responsibility lies with individuals and businesses to take precautions.

According to statistics from California, the number of fires linked to human activity has remained stably high for several decades. This includes everything from cigarette butts discarded in the wild to accidents on construction sites.

Despite this, some argue that climate change has a contributing role by creating longer periods of extreme heat and drought. But, as Abatzoglou points out, in the vast majority of cases the direct causes are human.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/comment/sanctioned-environmental-destruction/

Comment

Comment: Sanctioned environmental destruction

The exaggerated climate crisis

Tege Tornvall

Environmental considerations don't seem to apply to wind and solar power if one listens to the conflicting messages of Swedish environmental policy.

Published 8 January 2025
– By Tege Tornvall
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Swedish environmental policy sends mixed messages. The main rule is not to spread toxins or pollute. The main exception is that no environmental considerations may prevent wind and solar power.

These energy sources are advocated by the EU, and as we know, EU law takes precedence over Swedish law. If EU law requires us to hang from trees upside down, then we shall hang from trees upside down.

Since the EU wants us to switch to unsafe wind and solar power from reliable nuclear power, those who oppose this must be convinced – or forced. That also applies to regions and municipalities and their veto power.

The previous government tasked Centre Party politician Ulrika Liljeberg with proposing ways to persuade municipalities to approve wind power projects. Her proposal can be summarized in a single word: bribes.

They should be bought. But it will be expensive. So now comes a new proposal. The new investigator Magnus Hermansson simply proposes that regions and municipalities should lose their right of veto.

He is acting on behalf of the Moderate-led government. This government is so eager to dance to the EU’s tune that it is prepared to override regions and municipalities.

It has no mandate for that whatsoever. But it was not an election issue, neither in the 2022 parliamentary elections nor in the 2024 EU elections. There, such thoughts were discreetly swept under the carpet.

Swedish environmental policy sends mixed messages

But in practical terms, this means that the Moderate-led government may approve and endorse (sanction) energy policies that result in outright environmental destruction. A red-green government with the Green Party would likely do the same.

Both would cite the threat of global warming from more carbon dioxide from human activities as an excuse. But the IPCC’s Scientific Working Group WG1 provides arguments both for and against that more carbon dioxide from human activities would dangerously warm the atmosphere.

WG1 presents the facts of the climate debate, but they are distorted by working groups WG2 and WG3, which study the possible effects of alleged warming and how these should be addressed and managed. This is then summarized in an overly alarmist way for policy makers in the SPM report, which politicians and media take for a scientific report.

The alleged climate threat has become the new Swedish state religion, with the disoriented Church of Sweden and all political parties as eager supporters.

The only way to stop this is for it to go completely off the rails. And that seems to be happening, with massive green losses and an impending energy crisis on the horizon.

Nothing to be happy about but still to be welcomed. Back to Reality!

 

Tege Tornvall