The youngest member of Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been making waves since she appeared on the national political scene last year.
- Supporters of AOC, as Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is known, argue that this FAQ document was mistakenly released, a work in progress, and doesn’t reflect the immediate goals of the Green New Deal effort.
- Cortez repeats claim that cow flatulence threatens mankind. It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) again defended her position that the United States needs to tackle cow farts in order to prevent catastrophic climate change. The remarks regarding eliminating “farting cows and airplanes” first surfaced in materials released by Ocasio-Cortez’s office during the rollout of the Green New Deal resolution.
- Eliminating cows, and 4 more bold promises in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal. February 7, 2019 Alex Wong/Getty Images. Eliminating cows.
Ocasio Cortez On Cows
Ocasio Cortez just spoke about how she believes Americans should eat less beef: She was asked about farting cows during an appearance on Showtime’s series “Desus and Mero: “In the deal, what we talk about is, it’s true, is that we need to take a look at factory farming, period.
The 29-year-old Latina democratic-socialist from the Bronx is known for her appeal with millennials and use of Twitter to troll her critics — mostly pundits and Republicans — and use of Instagram to reach her fans.
Since her win over longtime Democrat congressman Joe Crowley in the 2018 primary catapulted her to national prominence, Ocasio-Cortez has become a household name. It has been noted that as a result of her rise and massive following she has already helped define the agenda of the modern Democratic Party, arguably nudging it even further to the left.
And some of the things she has advocated for have been on the receiving end of considerable criticism and mockery.
Here are three recent examples, including two that were outlined in the Green New Deal.
There’s been an awful lot of talk about cow farts and the Green New Deal, despite the fact that the resolution for a Green New Deal never mentions the word cow, nor fart (more’s the pity). It was President Donald Trump who made that connection.
The resolution’s co-sponsor, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, recently clarified the point on Showtime’s Desus & Mero show: “It’s not to say you get rid of agriculture. It’s not to say we’re gonna force everybody to go vegan or anything crazy like that,” she said. “But it’s to say, ‘Listen, we gotta address factory farming. Maybe we shouldn’t be eating a hamburger for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
Ocasio Cortez News Today
Politically, it makes sense to tell people that they can keep something popular, like eating (just a little less) beef, while promising to crack down on something unpopular like factory farms. But if you want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s a bit backwards. Get rid of factory farms, and we’d have to cut way, way back on the hamburgers.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Net Worth
As you can see in the graph below, the biggest climate problem with beef isn’t farting cows, it’s the space that grass-fed beef takes up.
Because feedlots, or “factory farming,” minimizes land use and shortens the time cattle need to grow to full size, feedlot beef often has a lower greenhouse gas footprintthan pasture-raised variety. There are exceptions: A few studies have shown that, with the right management and conditions, pastures can suck up more carbon than the cattle belch out (yes, it’s mostly belching, not farting).
To be sure, there are other thorny issues surrounding cattle on feedlots, but none of them are clear cut. Whether you are talking about the environment, health, or animal welfare, it’s all complicated. One way or another, those champion carnivores known as Americans are going to have to eat a lot less beef if we want to reverse climate change.
It’s no surprise that Trump tweeted that the Green New Deal would “permanently eliminate” cows, and no surprise that Ocasio-Cortez attempted to deflect the criticism to factory farms. It’s the perfect provocation. Food isn’t just fuel, it’s the stuff of sensory memories, families gathering around the table. It’s a tool by which culture is transmitted through generations. Mess with someone’s food traditions and you are messing with their identity.
As the Chinese writer Lin Yutang asked: “What is patriotism but the love of food one ate as a child?”
Sign up for The First 100 newsletter
Ocasio Cortez Getting Rid Of Cows
Will Biden deliver on climate? Get weekly analysis of federal climate policy action in the first months of Biden’s term.