Environmental Benefits of rbST Supplements
Posted on Sep 27th, 2007
PRODUCING MILK USING FEWER RESOURCES & GENERATING LESS WASTE The net
benefits of producing 10% more milk than the 1996 annual supply (19 billion gallons) using the same number of dairy cows and 100% adoption of rbST would include:
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Water – irrigation for feed grains. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 180 billion gal/yr of water, or the equivalent of 700,000 U.S. homes’ annual usage. |
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Land – used for feed grain farming. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 1.7 million acres of land, or 1/3 the land area of New Jersey. |
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Fuel – for grain, dairy operations, and (including) rbST production. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would save 150 million gal/yr of fuel, or 240,000 homes’ annual consumption. |
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Gases – methane (greenhouse) gases from cows. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 4.9 million tons/yr gas emissions. |
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Manure – 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 0.9 million metric tons/yr of manure. |
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Soil loss — erosion from grain farming. 100% adoption of supplemental rbST would reduce 5.3 million tons/yr soil loss, or 1% of the U.S. total soil. |

