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In What Ways Does Livestock Farming Impact Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Livestock farming has a big impact on climate change. It causes about 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions around the world. The main gases that come from livestock are methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Each of these gases comes from different sources in farming.

  1. Methane Emissions:

    • Animals like cows produce methane during digestion. This happens through a process called enteric fermentation.
    • A single dairy cow can create around 100 kg of methane each year. This adds up to about 3.4 billion tons of methane released globally every year.
  2. Nitrous Oxide Emissions:

    • Nitrous oxide is released mainly from managing manure and using fertilizers on farms.
    • This gas is very powerful when it comes to warming the planet—it's 298 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 100 years. It makes up about 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
  3. Land Use Change:

    • To make room for livestock, farmers often clear forests and change the land. This is known as deforestation, which destroys places that absorb carbon dioxide.
    • In fact, livestock farming is responsible for 70% of all the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. This worsens greenhouse gas levels in the air.

Overall, livestock farming greatly affects climate change through these emissions. It shows why we need to adopt more sustainable farming practices.

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In What Ways Does Livestock Farming Impact Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Livestock farming has a big impact on climate change. It causes about 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions around the world. The main gases that come from livestock are methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Each of these gases comes from different sources in farming.

  1. Methane Emissions:

    • Animals like cows produce methane during digestion. This happens through a process called enteric fermentation.
    • A single dairy cow can create around 100 kg of methane each year. This adds up to about 3.4 billion tons of methane released globally every year.
  2. Nitrous Oxide Emissions:

    • Nitrous oxide is released mainly from managing manure and using fertilizers on farms.
    • This gas is very powerful when it comes to warming the planet—it's 298 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 100 years. It makes up about 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
  3. Land Use Change:

    • To make room for livestock, farmers often clear forests and change the land. This is known as deforestation, which destroys places that absorb carbon dioxide.
    • In fact, livestock farming is responsible for 70% of all the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. This worsens greenhouse gas levels in the air.

Overall, livestock farming greatly affects climate change through these emissions. It shows why we need to adopt more sustainable farming practices.

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