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It came as a shock to learn that the world’s cattle population of 1,530 million plays a bigger role in effecting global warming than all of the world’s cars taken together. This is no gimmick; a United Nations report not only makes such a shocking claim, but also backs it up with the requisite data.

Cattle also supplement the depletion of our forests and water bodies; this is mostly the case in developing countries where the number of cattle per human is high. The high proportion of cattle in developing countries is because the people there are dependent on cattle more than their counterparts in the west. As the population of the world multiplies at alarming rates, the stress on natural resources increases manifold. Dwindling of the natural resources is a prominent concern for all.

This United Nations report has ominous signs, especially for India, as the country proudly says that it has 18 per cent of the world’s cattle. Even with the presence of sacred and holy attachments towards cattle, their numbers are diminishing. Vastly considered a taboo, government figures indicate that conscious culling of cattle is widespread all through the sub-continent. This, of course, has lead to a steady decrease in the number of cattle. A big portion of the total cattle population in such countries is old, sterile and is left to die of hunger. When they wander onto a farm, they are mercilessly beaten. Some lucky or unlucky ones, depending on your perspective, die a peaceful death from poisonous substances or after asphyxiating from plastic bags. The carcasses are of no use and are left on their own.

Despite of all the facts which advocate the reduction in the number of cattles, it is quite improbable that we will see any policies, such as a "flatulence tax" put into effect by the politicians; policies which may help both the cattle and humans in the long run.