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James Mason
Professor Keynejad
English 115
29 November 2016
Cow Lives Matter
Activism for animal rights, which only began to truly gain momentum in the 1970s, has
fallen in support and attention in the past few years. This is likely due to the rise of more
immediate and pressing issues, such as poverty or world hunger to name a few. Society is
slowly turning its eyes from justice and compassion, but many still remain who have not lost
sight of true change. Organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
and COK (Compassion Over Killing), have taken upon themselves to bear the burden of
championing the fight for animal rights. Their tireless efforts have spared the lives of many a
cow, pig and bunny rabbit that have been sentenced to death from the moment of birth for the
sake of human interests. Progress has been made, but many animals still face tribulation. Cows in
particular still face gross exploitations for the ravenous desires of humankind. Doomed to
wander the open range, they are forced to brave extreme weather and natures dangers, on a
quest to fatten themselves for someones dinner table. Injustice must be stopped, and lack of
intervention has prompted me to critically weigh the matter on my own. Through long meditation
I have devised a reasonable and relatively inexpensive solution which should satisfy all parties. I
propose that the funds of all meat and dairy processors be frozen, confiscated, and utilized to
construct cow sanctuaries, where all cows will be able to live happily and free from oppression.
Adopting this solution will allow cows to finally attain the peace that they deserve.

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Most cows have spent their entire lives held in captivity by food industries, so they have
never truly had a chance to experience life to the fullest. The sanctuaries will finally provide
them with the opportunity to escape mistreatment and live happily. Behavioural consistency
during social separation and personality in dairy cows, an experiment conducted by Roger
Mller, explored the effects of social separation on 35 cows. Mller observed increased
salivation, vocalization, and restlessness in all of the subjects, and drew the conclusion that the
consistent reactions that the cows displayed were tied to inner personality traits (Mller 14).
Consideration of personality structures may be crucial concerning animal welfare (Mller 1)
but has received no attention from the food industry. Cows that are penned up in a cell or are left
out to burn and freeze in open fields have no freedom to express their personalities. Therefore,
the sanctuaries will be a center of liberation for cows living in the oppressive farm setting,
freedom farms in a sense. The cows will be housed in a giant, temperature controlled dome,
where they will be free to roam and interact as much as they like.
Although my plan is fairly solid in social aspects, no plan is perfect and the possibility of
complications can never be totally avoided. An article by PETA titled, The Top 10 Reasons Not
to Eat Cows explains that cows are able to develop friendships, but can also hold grudges for
long periods of time. Not every cow can always get along, so Ive anticipated that social tension
might become a minor issue. In response to this, part of the sanctuary will be sectioned off for
individual or group counseling, in which cows can vocalize their problems. Not only will this
help to promote friendship in the sanctuarys community, but it may even help to remedy the
high unemployment rate of psychologists. Another issue that may arise concerns the cows
health. Cows have been slowly bred and conditioned to produce large amounts of milk, and if a
cow isnt milked enough, it may contract Mastitis, or a disease that causes painful inflammation

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in the udders and stops the cows ability to produce any more milk. Calves born on the sanctuary
may not consume enough milk from their mothers to avoid this disease, therefore extra helping
hands can be hired to milk and groom the cows to ensure that they remain in good health. The
milk of course will not be taken from the cows, and instead will be left in buckets inside the
sanctuary for the cows to utilize however they wish.
Another focus of the sanctuaries will be to alleviate the stress that cows experience under
the control of the meat and dairy industries. Past wrongs against cows should be corrected and
cows should finally be given the treatment they deserve. The abundant budget that the
sanctuaries should control will enable them to purchase only the highest grades of grass for the
cows to eat. In addition, borrowing from the art of famous Japanese cattle caretakers, cows can
be given beer or sake to help them relax and whet their appetites. Classical music can be played
throughout the sanctuary to help the cows settle themselves down and relax after their prior
torturous experiences. Also, cows might experience pain or stiffness due to the cramped cells
they were housed in. To help restore them back to their strength, masseuses can be hired to work
the stress and tension out of their muscles. These positions may even interest the recently
unemployed officials of the meat and dairy industries. They will surely be welcome to apply, and
possibly even reconcile with the cattle through the help of the friendship counselors, in order to
promote the positive atmosphere of the sanctuaries.
Evidently, this solution is economically and ethically unmatched. However, I have yet to
discuss its most appealing aspect. An article titled Enteric methane emissions from dairy cows
fed different proportions of highly digestible grass silage, discusses the correlation between the
quality of grass fed to cows, and the cows emissions of methane afterwards. The article
concludes that the higher the grass grades that cows consume, the more methane they will emit.

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As high grades of grass coincidentally make up the entirety of the sanctuary cows diets, their
methane emissions will be significantly high. As much as 320 grams of methane could be
emitted per day by each cow (Patel 1). The dangers of methane and other harmful emissions
from cows is discussed in another article titled cow pollution. which sums up a study by UC
Davis on pollutants coming from local cows. Addressing the aversive effects of these emissions
the article states, Each measured pollutant poses a significant health effect and VOCs
(volatile organic compounds) react with sunlight to produce ground level ozone, which can
irreparably harm lung function. As conscience and the betterment of society lies at the heart of
my proposal, turning a blind eye to this pollution cannot be allowed.
The meat and dairy industries are currently driven by total greed, but
their funds will be a mere drop in the bucket compared to the vast ethical
and monetary earnings from the collection of methane. What makes this
prospect even more appealing is the fact that it will only require very simple
modifications to the original plans for the sanctuaries to collect the methane
efficiently. Housing the cows inside a dome will be enough to effectively trap
all of the methane emissions, but one of several different methods can be
used to collect the methane from the dome. High grades of grass and
constant massaging will stimulate flatulence in cows. These gases will fill the
atmosphere of the dome, therefore siphons can be placed all over the walls
of the dome to suck in the gasses and filter out the methane. Another more
favorable method of collection however is the use of the cow-fartbackpack, created by Argentinas National Institute of Agricultural
Technology, which is much more effective in capturing methane. An article

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by the Big Think titled This Is How You Turn Cow Fart Gas Into Energy,
describes the device and how it can be utilized. Gases are taken straight
from the source through a collection tube placed into a cows intestines,
painlessly of course, and a bag is strapped onto the back of the cow in order
to concentrate the methane (Big Think pp.3). If all cows were to be released
into sanctuaries and strapped with a cow-fart-backpack, billions of kilograms
of methane could be collected. Collecting this much natural gas could be
groundbreaking in that it holds the potential to be a dominating force in the
energy industry. Cows have been exploited for their meat and milk for ages,
but the revenue made in those industries hardly scratches the surface of the
potential earnings in methane. Growth in and construction of more
sanctuaries over time may even make it possible to overtake demand for
coal and fossil to meet the worlds energy needs. On top of this, the possible
reductions in atmospheric pollution are also notable.
It is time for awakening. Wrongdoing against cows around the world must come to a
stop. The world focuses on hunger and violence, but we must serve as a reminder that cows are
just as important. If we all manifest the goodness and charity in our hearts, we will all be able to
see that cows are much more than just mere pieces of meat. They are sources of abundant
alternative energy and our friends. It remains an uphill battle but we must continue the fight.
Every vitamin B-12, Calcium, Iodine, and Iron supplement taken in the name of Veganism is a
slap in the face of the greed and oppression that rules the food industry. And every tear inducing
grilled tofu burger and veggie wrap helps to wipe away the tears of cows worldwide. Grouping
together provides the greatest opportunities for change. Organizations such as PETA and COK

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are big components of the initiative for cow freedom, so supporting them and their message can
go a long way in shifting ideologies. With regards to my proposal, Im sure that my solution
should resonate with many like-minded individuals, but my main objective is equality, so I
remain open to any better ideas if any might arise. However, for the time being, I stand proudly
by my solution and eagerly await positive change.

Works Cited
Patel, M., et al. "Enteric Methane Emissions From Dairy Cows Fed Different Proportions Of
Highly Digestible Grass Silage." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica: Section A, Animal Science
61.3 (2011): 128-136. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Mller, Roger, and Lars Schrader. "Behavioural Consistency During Social Separation And
Personality In Dairy Cows." Behaviour142.9/10 (2005): 1295-1312. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 19 Nov. 2016.

"Cow Pollution." Environment 46.8 (2004): 4. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Teodora Zareva. This Is How You Turn Cow Fart Gas Into Energy. Big Think. 24 November
2016, http://bigthink.com/design-for-good/this-is-how-you-turn-cow-fart-gas-into-energy.

Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Cows. PETA. 24 November 2016,

http://www.peta.org/living/food/top-10-reasons-eat-cows/

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Mastitis in dairy cows. AHDB. 25 November 2016, https://dairy.ahdb.org.uk/technicalinformation/animal-health-welfare/mastitis/#.WDx4OLIrI2w