LETTER: Water and cows.

A great editorial by the Review Journal (“Carbon, crops for cows and the river,” May 18).

While it’s true that it would be difficult for Nevada to curb worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, it would serve us well to address the impact of cattle ranching in our drought-stricken state. Agriculture in Nevada is a strong industry with a top commodity being cattle and calves. It is estimated that we have more than 1,000 cattle and beef operations in our state.

There are significant drawbacks to raising both feed crops and these animals in the desert. Besides the high water demand to process their feed and sustain them, we need to consider the environmental impact. Their grazing leads to land degradation and limited vegetation. Cattle operations can accelerate soil erosion. There is the risk of water pollution should waste runoff contaminate our scarce water supplies if not properly contained.

Finally, from an animal welfare perspective, our harsh environment, limited natural resources and extreme temperatures can place stress upon the animals that can lead to health issues or death. From a farmer’s perspective, it can cause reduced productivity.

If we care about sustainability, we must acknowledge that the long-term viability of desert cattle ranching in our increasingly climate-challenged state can harm ecosystems and exhaust our resources. At some point, it will be too late to rectify.