Environmentalists want animals gone

RE: Dec. 14 story, “You can shrink your carbon footprint.” The author quotes an environmental scientist who said it takes 10 pounds of corn protein to make one pound of beef protein. I am not sure what protein has to do with the carbon footprint.

Each bushel of corn provides from 5.32 pounds to 6.72 pounds of crude protein. At this rate, it would take, by the scientist's figures, more than 85 pounds of corn to produce a pound of beef protein.

Roughage rather than grain makes up the majority of the ration feed to any cattle. Farmers typically grow roughage (hay, corn silage, hay silage) to feed their cattle, and in nature's wisdom, cattle and other ruminants can change cellulose (grass or hay) into meat and milk. Corn adds texture and flavor and is not a necessity.

When priced competitively with other feed stuffs, more corn is used in the ration because corn is high in energy - higher rates of gain per day are achieved.

It seems to me that many of these so-called environmentalists would not be happy until all animal life (including humans) are expunged from Earth. Iowas farmers can produce upward of 10,080 pounds of corn per acre, and we do so while being conservationists.

John Stiegelmeyer

Vinton