Large herds of cattle to blame as global warming on the rise

Some of the cows grazing in Takaungu, Mombasa County, on May 7, 2014. A study has revealed that livestock methane gas emissions, cattle especially, has a bigger impact on global warming. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA

What you need to know:

  • NASA co-opted the Joint Global Change Research Institute. Researchers say they found global livestock methane emissions for 2011 are 11 percent higher than IPCC estimates.

  • Methane traps in the Earth’s atmosphere 28 times more of the Sun’s heat than carbon dioxide par equal measure: say a cubic metre.

  • Scientists haven’t yet figured how much methane other vegetation consumers—think of elephants—garbage dumps, swamps, et al, spew into the Earth’s atmosphere.

People whooping it up over sirloin steak and finger-licking pork chops hardly think the delights have anything to do with global warming. Wrong!

A study published by the open access journal Carbon Balance Management (CBM) indicates—the likes of US President Donald Trump will say fakes—livestock methane gas emissions, cattle especially, has a bigger impact on global warming than previously thought.

The CBM isn’t in the faking business. That’s why a department of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored the study.

Granted people at NASA dream of “what maybe or never were.”  They are, however, pretty good on weigh and measure. Otherwise, they would have blown themselves and the Earth to ethereal a long time ago.

Anyway, the study says scientists think previous estimates of livestock methane emissions used out-of-date data. It’s a reference to 2006 estimates by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, a UN-sanctioned outfit.

METHANE

NASA co-opted the Joint Global Change Research Institute. Researchers say they found global livestock methane emissions for 2011 are 11 percent higher than IPCC estimates.

Methane is a natural gas. It’s found in petroleum, gas, coal production and transportation, decaying vegetation and livestock digestive system.

It’s in the system where all manners of edibles are churned into milk, sirloins, ad infinitum, to the culinary joy of many. The animals then fart and burp methane.

Estimates are 1.5 billion cows exist on Earth. Some are big and well managed. They don’t consume milligrams. Estimates are each would produce between 114 and 190 kilogrammes of methane daily.

So what! Methane traps in the Earth’s atmosphere 28 times more of the Sun’s heat than carbon dioxide par equal measure: say a cubic metre.

It’s worthy of note scientists haven’t yet figured how much methane other vegetation consumers—think of elephants—garbage dumps, swamps, et al, spew into the Earth’s atmosphere.

RAPID HEATING

They, however, with weighs and measure—including palaeoclimate — shown the Earth is heating up rapidly; that the heat is causing havoc, for example, turning wind and oceans into uncontrollable demons.

If in doubt, ask residents of the Caribbean islands, the US states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, California, western Ireland and Scotland, for example.

The havoc and demons paid them visits not so long ago.

Scientists have come up with practical measures needed to reduce causes of the warming. The IPCC has been busy convincing governments to implement the measures. That’s how Paris Climate agreement came about.

Livestock methane emissions seem not to have featured correctly in the IPCC methane estimates. Another look is in order.

Hopefully logic will prevail and as carbon dioxide reductions are made, the same is done to livestock methane emissions.

The era of large herds of cattle, swine, et al, will look different, so will culinary practices, to the benefit of the Earth’s inhabitants.