I love animals! I have always been a fan of the city, and I can be a fan of almost any animal. Big, small, hairy, feathery, scaly; each has its own unique charm. and when my cat looks at me in love, i melt and it does my soul so much good.
M y love of animals goes so far that I have been a vegetarian for decades and I don’t like the distinction that society makes between domestic and farm animals, to put it mildly. The supposedly highly developed human species still causes so much animal suffering in food production that I can only describe it as inhumane.
Especially if you don’t differentiate between animal species, you’ll notice that while you love your outdoor cat dearly, it has no mercy on the birds and mice living in your home garden. Isolated certainly no problem, however, it goes us as a society in the meantime so well that almost everyone can afford a pet.
For example, one reader reported that she had a 3.000 m² plot of land and can accommodate up to 20! Roam neighboring cats. Birds and amphibians have little chance here, because now comes to the species extinction of native birds by the missing mosquitoes, native predators such as martens and wild birds and to environmental pollution and sealing of habitats also the naturalized predators added.
It is almost part of the good tone as a family to keep a dog. Small, large, special breeds and increasingly exclusive. This love of animals goes so far that a short nose is wanted incl. The lifelong respiratory distress of the four-legged friend. Reasonable animal love? I mean no and a shame to do such a thing to a living creature!
The carbon dioxide emissions of pets
If many people keep many animals, it comes to more garbage like z.B. The colored poop bags on the walkway and, of course, the required amount of food and its packaging. We are not just talking about waste products from the meat industry here, but meat from the 1. Quality class for the four-legged friend; this is called barfing and is supposed to be really good for animals.
The average dog emits 8.2 tons of CO₂ over the course of its 13-year life (a large dog emits 32.5 tons of carbon dioxide). Here again a single dog is not the problem. it is the mass and in germany currently live 10.7 million dogs. By the way, a cat emits 0.3 tons of carbon dioxide per year and in its average life of about 16 years, it emits approximately. 4.8 tons of CO₂.
The horse a CO₂ slinger?
A horse, on the other hand, can’t be that bad! Lives in a barn and eats hay. However, it is 2.4 tons per year and horse! For comparison: according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, each person should not cause more than 2 tons of CO₂ per year. In germany in 2019, it was an average of 7.9 tons per person.
We hold: for the feeding, housing, feces, purchases for the animal, trips for veterinary visits, etc. Does every pet cause CO₂. As with cars, a large dog causes more damage than a small dog. Rabbits and guinea pigs are better than cats, the 500 l aquarium beats bspw. With 950 kg CO₂ per year, budgies are still the most climate-friendly with 28 kg CO₂ per year.
For the animals, for which one has already taken the responsibility, the only way remains to see if one can possibly. In the daily doing something can improve. organic meat is better produced, pay attention to food packaging, do not dispose of feces bags in the environment, avoid trips for walking, equip aquariums with energy-saving lamps, cover tanks or even think about whether cold-water fish in the future evtl. An alternative could be. gardening for guinea pigs and rabbits ensures that not so much packaging waste is produced. When cleaning pet accessories, do not use so much water and do not buy individually wrapped food bags anymore.
Pet from breeder or animal shelter
Breeders earn their money with the sale of the animals and therefore no insight can be expected here. But every animal lover can decide whether to have a breeding animal or a pet from an animal shelter.
And if I have decided consciously for an animal, because I personally do not like to do without it? Perhaps one way can be to consciously act in a more climate-friendly way in another place. What this could look like? Try a vegetarian or vegan diet, the bicycle instead of the car and enjoy physically fit as never before the time with your pet! Have fun.