Memorial University. If you go to lots of climate rallies (like I do), you’ll sooner or later see contingents of activists from groups like PETA marching behind banners like this: The statistic on the banner is apparently based on a study released in 2009 by the Worldwatch Institute, which claimed to show animal agriculture accounts for 51% of global climate pollution. Methane comes from both natural sources and anthropogenic (human-related) sources. In particular, let’s look at a source of methane that might surprise you: livestock. Ruminant digestion in bos taurus. There’s no room here to get deep into the science behind it (and I’m no chemist), but suffice to say hoofed mammals are faced daily with the difficult task of digesting cellulose from vegetation they eat. How should funds and resources be allocated to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions? One of the most commonly known greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2). But then, maybe it’s not so surprising there’s a lot of confusion about this. Among the general public there seems to be a vague understanding beef somehow contributes to climate change and that cow farts are in some way involved. Describe the economic and social issues surrounding bovine agriculture. Scientists are working on different approaches to collect the methane produced by cows so it can be burned as a cleaner fuel supply. Methane is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide (CO2). When well-managed, grazing production systems allow livestock manure, containing carbon and nitrogen, to re-enter the soil, fostering increased plant growth and sequestering more carbon. According to the cowspiracy theorists, groups like Greenpeace secretly take money from the beef industry in exchange for keeping quiet about the climate impact of cows. Big Idea: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them. For example, digesting hay and grass produces more methane than corn. This seems like a good time to try and clear up some of the confusion. Greenhouse gases. Cattle don’t need to consume crops like corn and grain (as chicken and pigs do), which are associated with climate change-driving deforestation, land use change, and nitrogen-based fertilizer use. Natural sources include: Human-related sources fall into four main categories: Agriculture-based sources include rice production, livestock, and manure management. When natural gas escapes before being burned—whether from leaky pipelines, fracking operations, or coal seams—it ends up in the atmosphere. Like CO2 methane is a heat-trapping, carbon-based molecule, but it differs from carbon dioxide in a couple important respects. The rumen contains about 200 species of microorganisms. What role does methane play in this process? Big Idea: Human activities cause changes in the global climate system. Many experts now believe that eating less meat would actually have a bigger impact. It’s strange because while the Green New Deal resolutions do call for reducing emissions from agriculture, they make no explicit mention of beef. But as you have just learned, methane gas emissions from livestock are a huge problem. Although carbon dioxide is much more abundant in the atmosphere than methane, methane traps roughly 30 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Biden is now the President-elect, yet Trump refuses to recognize this election as legitimate. Concepts introduced include greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, methane (CH, To consolidate learning after reading this article, teachers could have students complete a, To further explore the issue of reducing greenhouse gases, teachers could have students use a. Big Idea: Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally. One is the fossil fuel industry; natural gas is actually just methane that’s been trapped underground for millions of years. What is the function of the rumen? ... making it a significant contributor to climate change… 30% of methane comes from natural sources, 40% from agricultural sources and 30% from other human-made sources. The rest comes out as flatulence (farts). Sign the petition: TRUMP MUST IMMEDIATELY CONCEDE and Congress must ensure he steps down. An important process called enteric fermentation takes place in the rumen. Now researchers are trying to breed them to burp less (2019). That’s because of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. National Geographic. In a rather strange of turn of events, Republicans opposed to the Green New Deal have made beef and hamburgers a core part of their messaging. Other scientists are taking a genetic approach. And yes, I fully expect the cowspiracy crowd to chime in on the comments on this post. It therefore makes sense dramatically … At a certain point doesn’t it make more sense to say the carbon footprint of hospital equipment belongs to the electricity sector, which actually generates the energy? Digesting certain types of food produces more methane than digesting other foods. Eventually this methane exits the animals—usually in burps, not farts (but farts make bawdier humor). The beef and dairy cattle industry is one of the main contributors to global greenhouse gases. Explain. Scientists are studying alternatives to cow feed that may produce less methane. Knowing this, scientists can breed cows that have less of these bacteria in their stomachs. Introduction to Environmental Science 120 (2012), Unit 3: Investigating Environmental Issues, Sciences de l'environnement 12e année - 54411 (version 2007) (french only), Environmental Science 3205 (revised 2010), Unit 5: The atmosphere and the Environment, Experiential Science 10 - Terrestrial Systems, Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College (SVN3M), Strand B: Scientific solutions to Contemporary environmental Challenges, Strand C: Human Health and the environment, Strand D: Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Environmental Science, Grade 11, Workplace (SVN3E), Strand B: Human Impact on the environment, Science and Technology, Grades 1-8 (2007), The Earth and Space: General Characteristics of Earth, Earth Sciences 11 (British Columbia, June 2018, Environmental Science 12 (British Columbia, June 2018), Science for Citizens 11 (British Columbia, June 2018), Science Grade 9 (British Columbia, June 2016), Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990-2015, Cows belch methane. So driving less may not be the most important thing we can do to help mitigate climate change. Cows produce masses of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The first chamber is called the rumen. For example, many of us choose to walk or bike instead of driving. Why/why not? It mechanically breaks the food down further. (2019, January 23). Voters decided: Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States! Cows are part of a group of animals called ruminants. Those associated with humans include landfills (where garbage made of organic compounds is compacted underground without oxygen), flooded rice paddies (where plant material breaks down underwater), manure lagoons on factory farms...and the guts of ruminant mammals like cows. The scientific study of meat as a protein composed of amino acid building blocks has led to some success at growing cultured meat in a lab. For example, there’s evidence seaweed additives in cow feed can significantly reduce methane emissions from the animals’ bacterial flora. Enter conservative politicians, who thrive on vague and confusing information and have latched onto some of the cowspiracy theorists’ own talking points to claim curbing climate change inevitably means banning hamburgers. But only about 10% of these play an important role in digestion. Big Idea: The transfer of energy through the atmosphere creates weather and is affected by climate change. Therefore the release of about 100 kg Methane per year for each cow is equivalent to about 2'300 kg CO2 per year.
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