Potty Councillor Wants Pets Included In Emission Targets
By Paul Homewood
Potty Bournemouth councillor says the impact of pets on meeting emissions targets is “a big elephant in the room” :
A politician in Dorset, England, denied on January 7 that he wanted to ban or exterminate dogs and cats after comments he made at a council meeting in which he said the impact of pets on meeting emissions targets was “a big elephant in the room.” At a meeting of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board about environmental issues on January 5, Councillor Mark Howell asked if a target of being carbon neutral could be met “without addressing the issue of the carbon footprint and methane of pets.” Howell said that “some people are quite dismissive” of the point he had raised and that “obviously, there’s an emotional reaction”.
He went on to provide claims about the environmental impact of pets, and material relating to pets. “It is a big problem that I feel should be represented within the 2050 analysis of carbon emissions,” he said. He raised the issue of the size of pets and how this related to carbon emissions. “You don’t have to have an enormous dog,” he said. “You can have a smaller dog. A cat is more efficient in some respects, but cats cause enormous biodiversity problems.”
In a video published on January 7, Howell said his comments had attracted “a lot of rubbish” on Twitter saying he wanted to ban pets, which he denied was his position. “I’m not saying we should ban dogs, or exterminate dogs, or cats,” he said. “What I’m saying is that people need to think carefully when their animals pass away whether they need to replace them; whether they need to scale down the size of their pets; perhaps, whether they need to share pets.” He said it was a serious issue that it appeared politicians were afraid to raise because of a fear of a backlash
Scarily Howell is Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration & Culture.
Why stop and cats and dogs though, Mr Howell? What about all the wildlife that abounds in Britain? Are you going to shoot deer, rabbits and badgers?
Maybe people should be banned from owning horses? Indeed why stop there, why not just sterilise the whole population and there will no humans left to buy pets.
The thought that nutters like Mark Howell can get into positions of power should frighten us all.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Really. Who elected this idiot
Idiots
Well, Biden isn’t meeting his emission targets. At leat, thats what Camilla told me !
You know we all bang on here about the technical impossibilities with achieving the green dreams of net zero, to be honest, without much success. Just imagine the outcry if Boris banned domestic animals to “save the planet” we would have 50 million additional people on our side. Do a U-turn and support this guy, you know he is right. Euthanise all cats and dogs by 2025, horses (lets ban horse racing as well) and gerbils by 2027 and white mice and goldfish by 2030.
Imagine the emissions caused by sporting events and music festivals. So we need to ban those in this country and prevent people travelling to them when held overseas.
When these things start to impact real people they will start to wake up to the consequences of what they are nodding agreement with
You won’t need to ban them – nobody will have any money to go to them anyway. And all sports grounds will be converted to growing food to counter the shortages caused by the ‘re-wilding’ nonsense.
Absolutely nailed it.
Gerry
I get the distinct feeling that our elite believe we have a land mass the size of America, into which can be crammed unlimited numbers of migrants and endless housing estates, industrial estates, roads and of course huge areas for rewilding, still leaving vast areas for food production
But who keeps elephants as pets?
It’s a zero sum game. Cell phones are unnecessary, ban them, ban home computers. Obviously Television should be closed down, we can make do with radio. These will save a shedload of emissions
Local councillors doing what local councillors do, covering up their total irrelevance by talking garbage.
Well there is nothing to stop you or anyone else on this list from standing at the next election. Easy to do and independents have done well here in Surrey and Sussex..
Funny you should say that ……..
I’m of a generation that actually believes in ‘giving something back’ so have undertaken a number of volunteering roles in the local community since retiring. A couple of years ago I stood as an Independent in the District Council election. The Council had been Conservative dominated for many years; lots of developers and friends of developers serving as councillors and a planning oficer found to be corrupt etc. The election was called to replace a Conservative who had just died in office.
My campign theme was to oppose a recent development decision which favoured only the chosen developer, was clouded in secrecy and used taxpayer funds without our knowledge or approval.
Come polling day I began to doubt my chances of success. The grieving widow stood outside with a friend of hers; a town and district councillor, welcoming all her friends as they came to vote. The Conservative candidate was the son of this double dipping councillor!!
The result was Conservative 400 votes, me 300 & Liberal Democrats 200. Total votes cast was 22% of the electorate. So apathy was the real winner.
When the count was going on the Chief Executive of the Council appeared; he was the returning officer. He spent all his time talking to his chums in the Conservative crowd, obtaining their sycophantic support while publicly slagging off one of the Independent councillors.
Having spent my working life in learning and development consultancy I am a little bit anal about competency and would never be able to work alongside such idiots. I also cannot stand cats using my garden as a toilet and a small rodent/fledging killing field but I think more highly of them than local councillors.
If press reports are accurate (for once), Boris Mumbo Jumbo would surely be sympathetic to this dim witted buffoon. But I’m sure Princess Carrie Antoinette will find a way of protecting little Dilyn. And since Boris particularly criticises Dilyn’s alleged “failure to control his Romantic Urges”, it seems Boris maybe heading towards peak hypocrisy.
Mark Howell joined the crazy train with a weird suggestion to solve a non-problem.
In other words, “global warming” ensnares another brain deficient politician.
But isn’t this exactly what you would expect from a priest of the Climate Religion? Demanding sacrifices of his followers?
What an absolute dick
👍🏻
Well that’s all zoos banned then
Perhaps if all politicians and the eco-terrorists were banned, we could all get back to normal life.
In his own way guys like this do us a service (of a sort!).
In theory, he is quite correct. If we are aiming at net zero then domestic pets are (again theoretically!) as legitimate a “target” as petrol-powered lawnmowers, strimmers, and, as David Guy-Johnson says, a whole host of other bits of kit around the house that we don’t actually need in order to stay alive.
It’s not until someone like this actually puts this sort of “left field” view into words that some people are going to get the message about how impractical and pointless the whole farce truly is!
It may come to be known as “Howell Moment” or something.
Anyone here from Bournemouth?
They could start a lively conversation in the local media as to how the council is worsening Climate heating’ by their failure to tackle the growing local rat population
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/19099531.pest-co-uk-concerned-council-cuts-affect-bournemouth-rat-population/
I would suggest that the herd of elephants in the room are the councillors and their wilful asininity. Resignations please.
Alarmists blaming flatus from animals and humans and what they consider an over-populated Earth have not suggested a “final solution” for these problems, but give these mad alarmists time…..
Paul,
Sort of on topic, here are some links showing the quality of “thinking” with regard to energy and climate in local politics in my former hometown of Aberystwyth (which now boasts a Welsh government subsidised “climate shop” in the high street!)
The first article describes wind power as being “free”…!
https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138667
https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138671
PaulR
well, rain is free but unfortunately by the time you get to use it that commodity becomes pretty expensive.
As for the ‘turbines don’t take up much space’. Pretty silly articles.
The first link has three and a half brain-dead supportive comments. Just for fun I tried to post a bit of realism. No enabling link received. Now there’s a surprise.
These people need locking up.
I have mentioned before the film ‘Idiocracy’ which although rather crass american humour is worth a watch as it does portray the way society is going.
I bet he has a dog and a german diesel estate car.
“why not just sterilise the whole population and there will no humans left to buy pets.”
Some people think that’s what the covid jab is all about !! (time will tell)
Does the Councillor have children? Nothing increases your net contribution to CO2 like making children. So is he childless, or a hypocrite?
I have written the definitive article on pets and global warming emissions here
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2021/05/cool-the-planet-or-we-kill-the-dog/
I must say that organising my protest sign and getting the professional pic taken were the toughest parts of the assignment 🙂
Good photos. A toast to you, Sir!
It is interesting that local authorities are imposing Low Emissions Zones in many towns, and Sheffield has even imposed speed limits on the M1 to reduce pollution. What amused me was that the lower speed was causing stick-slip movement of the cars which is probably the worst possible mode for emissions, In fact the total emissions per hour (or per car) is much higher than if the cars shot though at 70 mph, (or more). A single car is typically in the emissions area of about 6 miles for over 10 minutes as opposed to 5 minutes at 70 mph.
I wrote to Birmingham council about their LEZ and its foolishness ….. no reply.
Such is the talent pool for some South Coast District Councils. It will be the rough sleepers next.
I can see a point of view. Perhaps he is as p155ed off as me with neighbours cats using my lawn as a toilet.
The paradox is the councillors suggestions are not quite as nutty as declaring a “climate emergency ” when there isn’t such a thing.
In my neck of the woods thousands of acres of reasonably good agricultural land are inhabited by pet horses. Houses continue to be built on best most versatile agricultural land.
Insane
Twat, I bet he produces more methane than my 10 year old lab. Does that mean we can get rid of him?
From both ends of his alimentary canal
I just checked the BCP council website and was relieved to find he was not the deputy leader. He is an independent and it is Conservative controlled. He is obviously obsessed with all this climate nonsense, as so many apparently sane people seem to be.
Isn’t an obsession with climate nonsense a definition of insanity?