This little hobby horse crops up every couple of years.
An environmentalist who believes that owning pets is ‘selfish and cruel’ has urged Brits not to replace their animals when they pass away because of their carbon footprint.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, environmental auditor Donnachadh McCarthy debated Countryfile host Julia Bradbury about whether we should stop owning pets all together, because of the detrimental impact they have on the environment.
McCarthy argued that ‘most people do not need pets’ amid a climate emergency, and that those who keep cats and dogs in urban homes are giving them a ‘horrendous life’, because they’re not naturally domestic animals.
The level of ignorance on display is remarkable. Cats and dogs have been domesticated for millennia. They naturally hang around human habitation even when feral – it’s how the whole thing kicked of in the first place. Cats, in particular, can leave any time they choose and they choose to stay because they know a comfy life when they see one and if it isn’t to their taste, they will move out and find somewhere more suitable – usually with a neighbour. To claim, therefore,that they are not naturally domestic is a staggering level of ignorance of the nature of symbiosis.
As for the carbon footprint and climate emergency claptrap, there’s no point debunking this nonsense again as it’s been done to death. These charlatans have been claiming this for as long as I can remember and not one of their wild predictions has come true. There is no such thing as a carbon footprint. We can file this alongside all those idiotic “phobias” these people keep making up.
Viewers were not convinced by his arguments…
I’m not surprised. Even by environmental campaigner tropes this one is moronic.
Mr McCarthy is a leading light (if one can call them that) of Extinction Rebellion and he also claimed that showering or bathing more than once per week was “expensive, unnecessary, and polluting”.
I think that is sufficient reason to just pat him on the head and say something along the lines of “Of course, sonny – now run along and play, and leave the grown-ups to talk”.
Meanwhile he is polluting everyone he comes into contact with.
McCarthy desperately needs a pet. A crocodile would do nicely.
Yes, our two cats have a truly horrendous life, they are both wallowing in misery at this very moment. Donnachadh McCarthy is an idiot.
“Climate Emergency”? What exactly is that? Does it mean the man made global warming gravy train is heading for the buffers and he is missing out? For many people a pet is probably the only companionship they may have on a regular basis.
Cats are savvy enough not to give a toss about their carbon pawprint.
Quite. Mine couldn’t give a flying one about it. Food in the bowl and a comfortable place to sleep is all they are concerned about.
What exactly is an environmental auditor? This sounds like a make-work non job if ever there was one. What we actually need is someone to audit every climate scare story and expose it for the bullshit that it is. Of course Paul Homewood has been doing this free of charge for years.