Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

cause

Browsing
Lifestyle

Pets and The Climate: Cats and Dogs Cause so Much CO2 – and What That Means For You

The negative ecological balance of air and car travel as well as meat consumption is well known. But dogs and cats also have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of their owners.

What does carbon footprint mean?

Global warming should be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius
Binding target values ​​for the emission of greenhouse gases, which are primarily responsible for global warming, were laid down for the first time in the Kyoto Protocol on December 11, 1997. In addition to CO2, other greenhouse gases are listed here, such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). Since the Kyoto Protocol expired in 2020, a new climate protection agreement was introduced in order to be able to continue pursuing the international climate protection process after 2020. In 2015, at the 21st UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, 196 countries agreed to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius — if possible below 1.5 degrees Celsius. In November 2002 the Glasgow Climate Conference (COP 26) took place and ended with the Glasgow Climate Pact. Here the 1.5 °C target was again emphasized and for the first time reference was made to phasing out unrestricted coal-fired power generation and to the abolition of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels.

What is the carbon footprint?

The carbon footprint indicates the amount of greenhouse gases released by a specific activity, process or action. This means that every product also has a CO2 footprint, which is made up of the sum of emissions that come together through manufacture, use, recycling and disposal. But the CO2 emissions can also be determined for activities such as air travel, car trips, hotel accommodation or events. The carbon footprint accounts for about 60% of the ecological footprint. This indicates how sustainably a person, a company or a country deals with global resources. According to Welthungerhilfe, the world’s population would need 1.7 earths to cover the need for resources. Earth Overshoot Day, the annual deadline when all ecological resources of a year are used up, was already reached on July 27th in 2021.

Calculate your own carbon footprint
The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) provides a carbon footprint calculator on its website that you can use to calculate your personal carbon footprint. The Federal Environment Agency also offers a CO2 quick check, which also takes pet ownership into account, among other things. Questions about the following areas of life are asked here:
Your shopping behavior for fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, meat and fish
The proportion of organic or fair trade products you consume
How often you throw away food
How many car trips, plane trips and cruises you take and how often you use public transport.
What type of heating and water heating you use in your house or apartment
The standard and size of your house or apartment
How many people live in the household
Which energy efficiency class your household appliances have and how many small appliances you own
The type and frequency of laundry washing and drying
The money spent on clothes and shoes, leisure, consumer electronics, furniture, restaurant visits, overnight stays away from home, consumer goods and pets.

Why do pets also have a carbon footprint?

So far, there are only a few studies that look at the environmental impact of a dog or cat’s life. In 2020, the Technical University (TU) Berlin examined the entire life cycle of a dog in this regard and identified food, urine and faeces in particular as the main influencing factors. The environmental impact increases with the size, weight and lifespan of the dog. Animal and plant life are negatively affected by urine and the feces of the fur friends can make the trees more susceptible to diseases. For a dog weighing 15 kilograms that lives for 13 years, an average of 1000 kg of faeces and almost 200 liters of urine could be determined. With regard to dog food, the greatest burden was caused by the high proportion of beef and poultry and the packaging materials.

Are there too many dogs and cats?

Many pet owners may wonder why their beloved four-legged friend causes so much CO2. It is not only the CO2 emissions of a single animal that is decisive, but the large number of pets. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the number of dogs in Germany has more than doubled within 20 years. In addition, the Industry Association for Pet Supplies (IVH e.V.) states that 15.7 million cats and 10.7 million dogs lived in Germany in 2020, the number of which has most likely increased further in the course of the pandemic. 47% of all households had at least one pet. Justifications that dogs ensure more exercise for their owners and can encourage children to take more responsibility should not be included in the considerations.

The feed has the most harmful effect on the climate

Dog and cat food is largely based on meat and meat by-products. According to a report by Galileo TV, which documents a long-term experiment with vegan dog food in cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, meat-based dog food accounts for 90% of a dog’s carbon footprint. Around 1 million tons of meat are consumed annually for the 26 million dogs and cats in Germany. It would theoretically be possible to feed dogs on a purely plant-based basis, as Volker Wilke from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover explains in the article. This would reduce CO2 emissions for wet food by 35% and for dry food by as much as 70%. So far, no adverse effects have been observed with feed made from peas, lentils, sweet potatoes or soya supplemented with vitamins and amino acids. However, the changeover should be carried out under expert supervision so that the dogs do not suffer any organ damage or muscle atrophy. However, the origin of the vegan feed is also important. Because if the feed is made with soy from Brazil or other countries of origin, it can be much more harmful to the climate than dry feed made in this country.

What is the life cycle assessment of dogs, cats and horses?

With the provocative book title “Time to eat the dog?” (Is It Time to Eat the Dog?), two New Zealand authors caught the attention of many pet owners in 2009. Is the ecological paw print really that bad?

No more than 2 tons of CO2 per year

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), every inhabitant of the earth should not cause more than two tons of CO2 per year, so that the climate would not be further burdened. The amount of two tons of CO2 corresponds to the capacity that the earth could absorb naturally. The actual values ​​significantly exceed these two tons, depending on the country. According to Statista, in 2019 an average of around 30.68 tons of CO2 was produced per capita in Qatar, around 14 tons in the USA and around 7.8 tons in Germany.

What is the carbon footprint of dogs and cats?

Researchers at the Technical University (TU) Berlin have examined the life cycle assessment of dogs. Among other things, the production of feed and the consequential damage to the environment caused by urine and faeces were included. The result shows that the popular pet causes significant amounts of CO2. For example, a dog weighing 30 kilograms produces around 1,050 kilograms of CO2 a year, as reported by the Tagesspiegel. Thus, with just over a tonne of CO2, this dog causes about the same amount as a one-way flight from Berlin to Washington. With an estimated lifespan of 18 years, the dog’s CO2 emissions would increase to 19 tons.

The life cycle assessment for cats was determined in 2019 by the Swiss eco-balance institute ESU-Services. In addition to feed and environmental pollution, domestic conditions such as heat loss when installing a heat flap were also taken into account. According to this, a cat weighing 4.2 kilograms produces about the same amount of CO2 per year as a 1,165-kilometer car journey, which roughly corresponds to the distance from Berlin to Venice.

Horses are climate sinners too

A study examined all important effects on the life cycle assessment of pets. This included, for example, feeding, housing, faeces, trips by car to the veterinarian or even going for a walk, as well as all necessary purchases for the pets. The authors compared the results with the environmental impact of a car trip. The results showed that horses had the worst environmental record. According to the calculations, the annual cost of keeping a horse corresponded to an annual car mileage of 3700 km. Overall, the scientists came to the conclusion that the larger the pet, the greater the environmental impact.

This is how you can optimize your pet’s carbon footprint

Remove legacies left by four-legged friends

Dogs defecate and urinate when they go for a walk. A researcher determined in 2017 that the dogs and cats kept in the USA alone produce a good five million feces a year. It is not possible to get rid of the urine, but you should collect the dog poop in a waste bag and dispose of it. Thus, the environment is less polluted, because the amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen and heavy metals contained in the feces contribute to freshwater eutrophication and freshwater poisoning. In addition, disposal companies have to collect less manure, which also saves CO2. Also against the background that the production of the manure collection bags is less harmful to the environment than the entry of manure into nature. At the same time, walkers are happy when they are spared stepping into a dog pile.

Adjust the amount of feed as needed

Since many pets are overweight, CO2 can certainly also be saved with regard to the amount of feed. Keep your pet at a healthy weight and avoid overfeeding. As a dog owner, you should also consider that the production of dog food also requires factory farming, because dog food rarely comes from organic farms.

Reconsider BARF feeding

Biologically appropriate raw feeding, or BARF for short, contains 75% high-quality raw meat and is therefore a much more climate-damaging form of feeding than ordinary wet food. This doubles the CO2 footprint. The BARF feeding is considered to be particularly adapted to the needs of the dog as a descendant of the wolf. In the meantime, however, the opinion is becoming more and more widespread that dogs have adapted their digestive system to carbohydrate-rich food in the course of their development and that such a high protein intake is therefore no longer absolutely necessary.

A simple calculation illustrates the dimensions: A meat ration of around 300 – 500 grams per day is recommended for a medium-sized dog weighing 30 kg. This adds up to 150 – 185 kilograms per year over the year – per dog. And this does not include meat consumption for cats.

Insect-based dog food as an alternative

The latest trends include food cans that contain insects as a protein source. Insect food producer Tenetrio reports that insect protein-based dog food contains all the amino acids that dogs need. In addition, dogs are very good at splitting and utilizing the insect protein. A study that examined compound feed containing larvae of the black soldier fly came to the conclusion that the feed was very well tolerated by the dogs even if they suddenly switched. However, the price here is still far higher than for dog food containing meat, which is due to the high production costs.

Vegan dog food possible, but expensive

Feeding a dog meat-free sounds strange at first. It is also not in line with a dog’s natural diet and requires some additives to keep the dog from becoming ill. In fact, it is possible to provide the dog with all the nutrients, even if no animal protein is included. Vegan dog food consists of vegetable protein in the form of legumes such as lentils or lupins, supplemented with vegetables, millet, taurine, L-carnitine, iron, minerals, vitamins or algae. The disadvantage, however, is that the price is currently three times higher than that of conventional dog food. In addition, the current study situation does not yet allow an unrestricted recommendation for special phases of the dog’s life, such as growth or age.

Cats are more difficult to change their food

So far, there are hardly any studies that have examined the effects of vegan diets in cats. The option remains to choose a feed that contains more animal by-products or to offer more dry feed.

Conclusion: Every hobby entails a certain amount of CO2 emissions. Whether it’s a pet or the sports car in front of the front door. Here you have to decide for yourself where you see savings potential. Several pets, a lot of air travel, high meat consumption and cars with high fuel consumption are perhaps too much of a good thing. If you keep a dog as a pet, you can reduce your dog’s CO2 footprint by consistently collecting the droppings in poop bags and by changing the diet.

Keep Reading
By
health

Researchers are Investigating The Cause of Fatty Liver: a Specific Protein Counteracts The Development of Fatty Liver

Fatty liver is often triggered by a combination of causes. On the one hand due to the wrong diet and too little exercise, but on the other hand also due to epigenetic factors. Here’s what you can do to reduce heart disease and cancer from fatty liver.

Fatty Liver: The most common liver disease

No, Ali Canbay doesn’t want to scare anyone, but he does want to shake them up. After all, it is a threatening scenario: If someone is overweight and also has diabetes, then there is a high probability that they also suffer from fatty liver, says the professor. According to the German Liver Aid, non-alcoholic fatty liver is already the most common liver finding in this country, i.e. the most common liver disease – and also a kind of “accelerator” for other chronic liver diseases.

Fatty liver leads to coronary artery disease

But that’s not all: If you have a fatty liver, you will also get coronary heart disease in a few decades, warns Canbay, director of the clinic for gastroenterology, hepatology and infectiology at the University Hospital Magdeburg. Because the liver is a power machine for the entire body. And if this power machine no longer works properly due to obesity, substances would be released that attack the coronary arteries. Conclusion: Canbay warns that if you suffer from fatty liver and do nothing about it, you are more likely to develop heart disease or even a heart attack.

Genetic factors in the development of fatty liver

Researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research e. V. (DZD) have discovered new genes that play a role in the development of fatty liver. In both humans and mice, these genes ensure the production of regulatory proteins that counteract fat accumulation in the liver. However, if there is a genetic change, fewer of these proteins are produced.

Studies confirmed that the livers of patients and mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver have far lower levels of the protein. In the mouse, these are the proteins IFGGA2 and IFGGA4. In humans, the protein is called IRGM (immunity-related GTPase M = immunity-related protein of the GTPase family M), which increases a certain form of fat breakdown and thus counteracts the development of fatty liver.

“Our work has identified other important genes that cause fatty liver disease. In addition, the study results deepen our understanding of which cellular processes must be stimulated to counteract fatty liver,” summarizes Professor Annette Schürmann, head of the Experimental Diabetology department at the German Institute for Nutrition Research Potsdam Brücke and spokeswoman for the DZD.

Healthy diet and exercise as a solution to fatty liver

The disease is often not triggered by excessive alcohol consumption or fatty food, as was previously assumed, but by a lack of exercise and an associated excessive body weight. professor dr Michael P. Manns, CEO of the German Liver Foundation, says that the causes of fatty liver usually occur in combination. It is a well-known fact that poor nutrition and lack of exercise often lead to obesity, which, according to the expert, is also one of the triggering factors.

Losing weight reduces liver fat and fibrosis

Since the drug treatment of fatty liver is still difficult because various drugs are still being developed, according to Professor Manns, weight loss is at least one effective method. Because: A “reduction in body weight always leads to a reduction in liver fat and fibrosis,” says Professor Manns.

The fact that there is a direct connection between liver health and body weight or physical activity is being confirmed in more and more study results. In many cases, a weight loss of just ten percent causes the regression of non-alcoholic fatty liver and an improvement in liver fibrosis.

Fatty liver as a basis for liver cirrhosis and liver cancer

In a recent article in the journal, researchers Norbert Stefan, Hans-Ulrich Häring and Kenneth Cusi point out the need for new treatment methods. Because personalized therapies and the combination of different treatment options would offer the best chances of recovery in the future.

It is well known that drinking too much alcohol is harmful to the liver. Anyone who drinks may set a fateful cascade in motion: the liver becomes fatty, later it becomes inflamed, then the connective tissue multiplies (fibrosis), and finally cirrhosis of the liver occurs, the scarred remodeling of the organ that performs its numerous vital tasks in human metabolism consequently can no longer fulfil. In a small percentage it even develops into liver cell cancer.

So much for the possible processes in the event of excessive alcohol consumption. But the chain reaction can also take place without alcohol. For example, if someone is overweight – and as is well known, overweight has increased sharply worldwide in recent decades.

endless suffering of the liver

A fatty liver usually causes hardly any symptoms. At best, feelings of pressure in the upper right abdomen, tiredness and concentration problems are mentioned by the German Liver Aid as possible symptoms. A “non-alcoholic fatty liver” (NAFL) is therefore often an incidental finding during a health check by the family doctor. But most doctors said it wasn’t that bad. “Fatty liver is much more dangerous than we think,” says the expert.

Together with his team, he has published a publication that states that the function of a fatty liver is already restricted, even if you can’t see anything of it. Unlike alcoholic liver disease, NAFL, as the name suggests, has nothing to do with drinking too much alcohol, but rather with poor diet and lack of exercise. Both factors played a “decisive role” – and are widespread.

Intestinal germs: Interesting for fatty liver research

The development of a fatty liver is extremely complex and depends on various factors. The colonization of the intestine with germs, the so-called microbiome, has also increasingly become the focus of scientific interest in fatty liver. “We know that the microbiome plays a big role,” says Canbay. He recently reported on this at the German Microbiome Days.

It seems that the community of intestinal germs has changed in overweight or fatty liver patients. The ratio between the Firmicutes and Bacteroides bacterial groups is shifted in favor of Firmicutes, which can increase the energy yield from food.

Against fatty liver: exercise and a healthy diet

It is known that Firmicutes could extract many more calories from food than the Bacteroides. The Firmicutes would be fed with carbohydrate-rich food and fast food. One day probiotics may help, or stool transplants, that is, a transfer of “good” bacteria from healthy, lean people to those who suffer from obesity and fatty liver.

Until then, lifestyle changes are the only way to get rid of the fat in the liver. The expert advises more exercise in everyday life and a change in diet with more vegetables and not too much fruit. Because fruit contains fruit sugar (fructose), which is known to promote fatty liver. He recommends his patients a protein-rich, not too fatty diet with few carbohydrates and plenty of salad: “Meat and salad is great,” he says, and “You can eat anything

Keep Reading
By
health

Clogged Arteries: These 8 Foods Can Cause Atherosclerosis

Smoking, alcohol consumption, too little exercise: all of this favors cardiovascular diseases. But one of the main reasons for heart attacks and the like is often an extremely unhealthy diet. If fats are deposited in our body, our arteries will gradually become clogged. If the blood can no longer flow properly, the risk of heart disease increases. For the sake of your health, you should actually avoid foods that many people like because they are very high in fat.

Clogged arteries: You should only eat these 8 foods in moderation – for the sake of your heart

Due to the lack of symptoms, clogged arteries are often only noticed when they have already triggered a heart attack. That’s why a balanced diet with lots of raw fruit and vegetables, as well as exercise, is very important to rule out an increased risk factor for a heart attack.

Meat and sausage – greasy and even carcinogenic

Even if many people can no longer hear it: Meat is not a healthy food. Due to the high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol in meat, meat consumption is a particular risk for the cardiovascular system. Processed meat products such as sausage or bacon also contain a lot of salt. By the way: Even types of meat such as poultry, which are considered low in fat, can cause the LDL levels in the blood (the “bad” cholesterol) to skyrocket and thus be an increased risk factor for a heart attack.

Poultry skin – tasty, but extremely harmful

Think the skin is the tastiest thing about fried chicken? At least it’s the unhealthiest thing, because the skin of fried chicken & Co. contributes a lot to fat accumulation in your blood vessels. At first glance, poultry skin seems less relevant when it comes to the health of our blood vessels. However, it is full of calories and lipoprotein and is therefore very high in fat. It clogs your arteries and increases your risk of heart attack.

Eggs – Cholesterol clogs your arteries

Not only is the skin a potentially harmful part of poultry, the egg is also a tough one: an average egg contains five grams of fat and up to 280 mg of cholesterol, more than half the recommended daily allowance.

High-fat dairy products – Fat is deposited in blood vessels

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, ice cream or cream: Many eat these foods several times a day without realizing how harmful dairy products can be to their health. Because they can all lead to deposits and blockages in the blood vessels, especially whole milk products.

Trans fats – a high risk factor for heart attacks

They can be found in many everyday foods: trans fats or trans fatty acids. When talking about trans fats, it is usually about food fats containing trans fatty acids (triglycerides). These trans fats are mainly found in meat, dairy products and processed foods such as baked goods and are a particularly high risk factor for a heart attack.

Baked goods and candy – savory treats that clog your arteries

As expected, baked goods and sweets are by no means harmless to our health. There are several reasons for this: They contain very little antioxidants or fiber, but they do have high levels of trans fats, refined flour and processed sugar. The problem? All of these ingredients can clog human arteries.

Oils, salty snacks and junk food – tempting and unhealthy

Most cooking oils in our kitchens, such as sunflower oil or corn oil, contain high levels of saturated fat. These damage the cardiovascular system and can clog the arteries. Common snacks such as fries, roasted peanuts or potato chips also contain saturated fatty acids and should only be eaten in small amounts. It is better to use oils with many unsaturated fatty acids such as olive or rapeseed oil.

Sweets and sweetened drinks – tasty addictive

Foods high in sugar also have a negative effect on your arteries. In addition, sweets, cakes and the like increase your risk of being overweight – a key factor in the development of hardening of the arteries and a major risk factor for a heart attack. Excess sugar is converted to fat in the liver and transported through the bloodstream surrounded by LDL cholesterol. The result: an increased risk of high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, adiposity (obesity) and type 2 diabetes.

Keep Reading
By
health

Clogged Arteries: These 8 Foods Can Cause Atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular diseases are still among the most common causes of death. The main reason is often diet. Here you can find out which 8 foods clog your arteries.

Smoking, alcohol consumption, too little exercise: all of this favors cardiovascular diseases. But one of the main reasons for heart attacks and the like is often an extremely unhealthy diet. If fats are deposited in our body, our arteries will gradually become clogged. If the blood can no longer flow properly, the risk of heart disease increases. For the sake of your health, you should actually avoid foods that many people like because they are very high in fat.

Clogged arteries: You should only eat these 8 foods in moderation – for the sake of your heart

Due to the lack of symptoms, clogged arteries are often only noticed when they have already triggered a heart attack. That’s why a balanced diet with lots of raw fruit and vegetables, as well as exercise, is very important to rule out an increased risk factor for a heart attack.

Above all, you should avoid foods and dishes that are high in saturated fat. You can find out here which foods you should add to your diet to permanently reduce your risk of heart attack and even clean your arteries.

However, since unhealthy foods in particular taste very good to many, it is important to be aware of the risks. These foods can cause fat to build up in the arteries

Meat and sausage – greasy and even carcinogenic

Even if many people can no longer hear it: Meat is not a healthy food. Due to the high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol in meat, meat consumption is a particular risk for the cardiovascular system. Processed meat products such as sausage or bacon also contain a lot of salt. By the way: Even types of meat such as poultry, which are considered low in fat, can cause the LDL levels in the blood (the “bad” cholesterol) to skyrocket and thus be an increased risk factor for a heart attack.

Poultry skin – tasty, but extremely harmful

Think the skin is the tastiest thing about fried chicken? At least it’s the unhealthiest thing, because the skin of fried chicken & Co. contributes a lot to fat accumulation in your blood vessels. At first glance, poultry skin seems less relevant when it comes to the health of our blood vessels. However, it is full of calories and lipoprotein and is therefore very high in fat. It clogs your arteries and increases your risk of heart attack.

Eggs – Cholesterol clogs your arteries

Not only is the skin a potentially harmful part of poultry, the egg is also a tough one: an average egg contains five grams of fat and up to 280 mg of cholesterol, more than half the recommended daily allowance.

High-fat dairy products – Fat is deposited in blood vessels

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, ice cream or cream: Many eat these foods several times a day without realizing how harmful dairy products can be to their health. Because they can all lead to deposits and blockages in the blood vessels, especially whole milk products.

Trans fats – a high risk factor for heart attacks

They can be found in many everyday foods: trans fats or trans fatty acids. When talking about trans fats, it is usually about food fats containing trans fatty acids (triglycerides). These trans fats are mainly found in meat, dairy products and processed foods such as baked goods and are a particularly high risk factor for a heart attack.

Baked goods and candy – savory treats that clog your arteries

As expected, baked goods and sweets are by no means harmless to our health. There are several reasons for this: They contain very little antioxidants or fiber, but they do have high levels of trans fats, refined flour and processed sugar. The problem? All of these ingredients can clog human arteries.

Oils, salty snacks and junk food – tempting and unhealthy

Most cooking oils in our kitchens, such as sunflower oil or corn oil, contain high levels of saturated fat. These damage the cardiovascular system and can clog the arteries. Common snacks such as fries, roasted peanuts or potato chips also contain saturated fatty acids and should only be eaten in small amounts.

Sweets and sweetened drinks – tasty addictive

Foods high in sugar also have a negative effect on your arteries. In addition, sweets, cakes and the like increase your risk of being overweight – a key factor in the development of hardening of the arteries and a major risk factor for a heart attack. Excess sugar is converted to fat in the liver and transported through the bloodstream surrounded by LDL cholesterol. The result: an increased risk of high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, adiposity (obesity) and type 2 diabetes.

While conventional desserts fill you up a little and are therefore not normally eaten by the kilo, this is unfortunately different with sweet drinks: Cola, lemonades or sugary iced tea are so dangerous because large amounts of liquid sugar end up in our bodies within a very short time – an enormous risk factor for heart attack, obesity, type 2 diabetes and arteriosclerosis. According to the current state of research, sweeteners are probably not harmless either, since they get us used to an extremely sweet taste and possibly (!) damage the intestinal flora.

Still, all indications are that no-calorie beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners are the lesser evil. It is still better to drink water, coffee or unsweetened tea to reduce your risk of heart attack.

Another tip: Make sure you drink enough fluids

Due to the high temperatures, you can sweat out several liters of water every day. Caution: People with heart disease are sometimes not allowed to drink too much water, as their cardiac output can be impaired if they drink too much water. If you already have heart problems, you should definitely discuss the right amount of water with your doctor.

Keep Reading
By