Cows not the big methane producers once believed

Australia’s got a bad case of gas. Well, their cattle do any way. But it seems that it may not be as bad as once thought. The huge cattle herds of the north might be burping less methane emissions than originally thought according to a new study released last week.

While they cows may not exactly be climate friendly, they are friendlier than suspected. It’s long been known that cattle, sheep and other livestock produce large amounts of methane - large like 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide for trapping heat. One cow, all by itself, produces 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

Half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come not from industrialization but from cattle. And it’s gas emitted from the front end, not the back, as is popularly believed. But it ends up that the gases may actually measure a third less than originally thought.

The finds are based on results from a specially designed respiration chamber using cattle fed tropical grasses. These results significantly challenge the estimates provided by the government.

“The industry is more methane friendly than was previously thought based on the new measurements,” said research leader Ed Charmley in a phone interview with Reuters. The new data should help the government adjust its calculations of Australia’s greenhouse gas accounts. Agriculture is responsible for 15% of the total emissions using the old numbers. This could mean a significant change.

Also, simple changes to the diets of sheep and cattle could reduce emissions as well.

Source: Reuters