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Livestock sector spews a fifth of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, says

U.N.

 

The U.N. has issued fresh content on a vital cause of global warming: cow farts.

It seems that 18 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases stem from farm animals

and the livestock industry, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture

Organization. Besides poots, agriculture-related deforestation and energy use

contribute to the total. When all the carbon-equivalent math is said and done,

livestock produce more of the world's human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions than

cars, says the U.N.: about 9 percent of carbon dioxide, up to 40 percent of

methane, and nearly two-thirds of nitrous oxide. If those numbers don't mooove

you, consider that global meat and milk production is projected to roughly

double by mid-century. To address livestock's effect on global warming (not to

mention water pollution and biodiversity) the report proposes using manure as

fuel, increasing irrigation efficiency, improving land use, and changing

animals' diets to reduce flatulence. Which does not make us grin.

 

History repeats itself

and each time the price gets higher