Droppings, a diet rich in meat, and a decline in bird numbers: our pets have a significant impact on the environment. But there are solutions to minimize them.
“I recently adopted a dog and I’m delighted with it, but I feel a little guilty about its impact on the planet. Wouldn’t I have done better to get a cat?” asks Viviane.
More than one in two households in Quebec owns at least one dog or cat. In total, there are 3.4 million in the entire province, according to the most recent figures from the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ) in small animal practice.
Reduced anxiety, less sedentary lifestyle, more empathy and self-esteem: their positive effect on the mental and physical health of their owners has been demonstrated in numerous studies. But Minette and Filou also raise some environmental issues.
The meat issue
It is estimated that an average-sized dog produces nearly one tonne of greenhouse gases (GHG) per year – the equivalent of a one-way plane trip between Montreal and Paris. For cats, the figures vary depending on the study, but they produce two to four times less GHG than a dog.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
A cat would produce two to four times less GHG than a dog.
A quick glance at their food bowl is enough to understand where these GHG emissions come from. Food accounts for about two-thirds of a dog’s overall footprint and half of a cat’s. And the biggest contributor is their meat consumption, which makes up nearly 50% of their calories. By comparison, a Canadian’s diet is made up of about 20% meat.
The example of the United States
- The United States has 163 million dogs and cats, equivalent to half the American population.
- They produce, en masse, as much excrement as 30% of the American population.
- They eat as many animal calories as 33% of the U.S. population.
- They produce 64 million tonnes of CO eq.2 per year, the equivalent of 13.6 million cars on the roads.
Source : PLOS One2017
“If cats and dogs in the United States were a country, it would be the fifth largest consumer of meat in the world,” summarizes Véronique Armstrong, a doctoral student in environmental ethics at the University of Montreal, an estimate based on data from a study published in the journal PLOS One in 2017.
Putting your pet in the green?
The impact, however, varies depending on what you feed your pet. If a dog is fed table scraps, its footprint drops drastically. Conversely, if you feed it exclusively raw meat – “noble” cuts that could have been eaten by humans – its footprint will double. As for “homemade” pet food, it all depends on the ingredients used…
As for industrial food, canned food and “premium” kibble contain more meat, and therefore have a greater impact than classic dry food. The David Suzuki Foundation mentions the possibility of switching to kibble based on insect proteins, or even 100% vegetable – a vegan diet is however not recommended for a cat, which remains a carnivore.
Ultimately, “it’s like for human beings,” summarizes Elliot Muller, researcher at the International Reference Center for Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainable Transition (CIRAIG).
The ideal is to favor vegetable proteins as much as possible, and if this is not possible, reduce red meat as much as possible.
Elliot Muller, from CIRAIG
“But whatever your choice, consult your veterinarian. He will tell you whether this or that diet is appropriate or not depending on your animal,” emphasizes Michel Pepin, spokesperson for the AMVQ.
The question of biodiversity
Pets also have consequences on ecosystems.
On the dog side, it is estimated that it produces on average, over its entire life, one ton of excrement and 2000 liters of urine. These droppings contain nitrogen and phosphorus, which fertilize the soil. On a city scale, this can considerably accelerate the eutrophication of nearby waterways: excess nutrients in the water can lead to an overgrowth of plants, a depletion of oxygen and an imbalance in the ecosystem.
As for the cat, it is considered an invasive exotic species. “Many cats are abandoned in the street and reproduce at a phenomenal speed, which has consequences on biodiversity,” explains Véronique Armstrong.
Domestic cats kill 100 to 350 million birds in Canada each year, making them the leading human-caused cause of bird mortality. They are estimated to have contributed to the recent extinction of 40 bird species worldwide, and are still endangering hundreds more.
Here again, solutions exist: you can choose to keep your cat indoors, for example. “If he has games, structures he can climb, interactions… he will be happy,” says Michel Pepin. But it all depends on each animal, and again, it is best to talk to your veterinarian before any change in habits.
Finally, on average, a dog has a bigger impact on the environment, but a cat left outside will have more consequences on biodiversity. Should we therefore give up on adopting one or the other, and fall back on a rabbit?
For Michel Pepin, the answer is clear. “We shouldn’t choose an animal just based on its environmental footprint. It’s mainly its impact on the family unit that’s important,” he adds. “We have to ask ourselves what we’re looking for in an animal and what we’re willing to give for it, to make it happy and have a good life.”
Other ideas for reducing your pet’s environmental footprint:
- Prefer adoption from a shelter, if possible.
- Have your pet sterilized.
- Favor toys made from natural or second-hand materials.
- Avoid the car when walking your dog.
- Avoid letting your dog run free in the forest.
- Pick up your dog’s droppings, using compostable bags rather than plastic ones.
- Choose a litter made from compostable materials for your cat (wood shavings, nut shells, mulch, etc.).
- Some municipalities allow cat and dog litter and droppings to go in the brown bin, such as in Sherbrooke or Trois-Rivières (but not in Montreal).
- It is generally not recommended to put the contents of litter, even biodegradable, in the toilet – for more information, you can contact your local authority.
The number of the week
163.5 million
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
A tramway should connect western Gatineau to the city centres of Gatineau and Ottawa.
On June 27, Quebec and the federal government announced $163.5 million in funding to support the tramway project that should connect western Gatineau to downtown Gatineau and Ottawa. However, it will take about ten years before it is put into service.
Green light
Immaculate roofs
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
White roofs can help reduce temperatures during heat waves.
A study published in early July in Geophysical Research Letters confirms: painting the roofs of buildings white could reduce heat islands in cities. If this measure were generalized in a large metropolis like London, it would reduce the temperature by 1.2 ºC on average during heatwaves, or even by 2 °C in some places. This is due to the “albedo effect”: the lighter a surface, the more light it reflects, and therefore heat. A white thermoplastic roof, for example, can reflect 80% of the sun’s rays.
Source: Agence France-Presse
She said
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE RESEARCH COMMUNITIES SITE
Parisa Ariya, professor at McGill University
This technology could completely transform the way we monitor and manage plastic pollution.
Parisa Ariya, a professor at McGill University, whose research team developed the first tool capable of detecting nanoplastics present in water, in situ and in real time
Source: McGill University