Methane Emissions From Livestock Are Contributing to Global Warming Much More Than Scientists Thought

A recent study has discovered that livestock has a much larger role in contributing to emissions of methane than researchers previously thought.

According to the study, emissions in 2011 were 11 percent higher than estimates from data collected by the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. Animals such as cattle and pigs were major contributors to annual emission increases spanning from the 2000s to the 2010s.

The researchers believe the variation in numbers is due to outdated information used to develop the factors used to tally up the emissions.

“In many regions, livestock numbers are changing, and breeding has resulted in larger animals with higher intakes of food,” study lead author and U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Julie Wolf said in a release. “This, along with changes in livestock management, can lead to higher methane emissions.”

The scientists reported an eight percent increase in methane from digestion in cattle and a 37 percent increase in methane via management of manure, compared to the previous estimates.

https://weather.com/science/nature/news/livestock-methane-greenhouse-gas-emissions-estimates-increase