Is this man serious?
11 September 2008
Statement by TUV MEP Jim Allister:-
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A little knowledge in the hands of Simon Hamilton MLA produces ludicrous utterances. How else could you describe this declaration on a basic agricultural issue from the urban Strangford MLA:-
"What is also being ignored is the fact that whilst cattle do emit large quantities of methane, there are ongoing attempts to reduce these levels through changing diets or techniques like anaerobic digestion."
If Simon has serious aspirations about being the DUP vote-splitting candidate in the European election, then he'd be advised to learn some basic facts about cattle. Cows can't be fitted with anaerobic digesters! Nor can anaerobic digestion reduce natural methane production.
Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. In fact the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production.
So, anaerobic digestion is a scientific process for dealing with animal waste, but it cannot influence the amount of methane produced by a cow. Basic, but not basic enough for Mr Hamilton!"
