Cattle Farming’s Impact on Climate Change

By ZHANG ZIQIN & LIANG XINGWEI

D URING the year 2021， the Earth has been battered and bruised by diverse extreme weather patterns， which have resulted in floods， storms， and extreme heat causing wildfires in multiple parts of the world. The Canadian province of British Columbia， once deemed to be one of the most livable regions in the world， saw its temperature hit a record high of 46.6 degrees Celsius last summer. These unusual weather phenomena have once again triggered the urgent action needed in dealing with climate change.

Recent research indicated that all extreme natural phenomena are inseparable from the high levels of industrialization and modernization. One of the biggest current problems facing humankind is how to keep global warming within a range of 1.5 degree Celsius， whilst maintaining an acceptable level of economic growth. This is a challenge that most developing and developed countries have to confront head-on， and one that does not give us much time before it is too late to make a difference.

When speaking of the greenhouse effect， the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the CO2 emissions caused by the usage of fossil fuels. This has led to “carbon neutral” becoming a buzzword in recent years， and many countries have made it a national strategic goal to achieve carbon neutrality within the next 30-50 years. However， the climate impact of animal husbandry is often overlooked.

Much of the extinction of species is due to the destruction of natural habitats. But as the human population increases， the demand for foodstuffs such as beef， eggs， and milk has increased， resulting in one-third of the planets arable land currently being used to cultivate livestock feed crops， according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO）. If you take into account land clearing， grazing， fodder cultivation， and transport， the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gases than the entire transport sector， a UN report shows.

The greenhouse gas produced by livestock farming mainly refers to methane， a colorless and odorless gas. “Methane pollution causes 25 percent of the global warming that we are experiencing right now，”said Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund（EDF） in his 2018 TED talk.

According to Krupp， 90 to 95 percent of the methane released by cows comes out of their mouths through burps， while five to 10 percent is released in the form of manure and flatulence. According to the FAO， livestock are responsible for about 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cows are regarded as the primary offenders， and each animal releases 30 to 50 gallons a day on average. And with an estimated 1.3 to 1.5 billion cows on the planet， thats a whole lot of methane， said Krupp.