Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have only one simple question. It was said that agriculture produces 33% of emissions. Does that mean greenhouse gases? Does that include nitric oxide, methane and carbon dioxide?

Perhaps the delegations can explain the following example to someone like me. If one grows a tree it will take in carbon, but if one grows other plants, like grass and so on, they will not take in carbon. When an animal eats the plants the gas will be expelled again. How does constantly putting out a lot of greenhouse gases not deplete the carbon amount? Where is it all coming from? There is a permanent carbon cycle. Is there an accounting issue? Have I missed the point that was made about the greenhouse gas count? It has been said that one type of plant takes carbon in and holds it, but when one kills the tree and burns it, one lets out what was brought in, although it is kind of neutral by then. However, other plants take in carbon, animals feed on them and then the animals release gases and so on both at the front and the back. The carbon count seems to take account of what comes out but not what comes in and I am curious to hear how it is calculated.