Cattle industry isn’t the climate change problem
Did you hear the one about a cow passing gas in the pasture? Everyone has. The problem is it isn’t true but people crying, “But science!” say it is. It’s time to give that joke in the name of “science” a rest.
At a recent conference hosted at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Frank Mitloehner from the University of California Davis discussed livestock and its effect on climate change – more specifically, its effect on greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr. Mitloehner, a widely recognized and well-respected researcher in animal science and air quality, noted carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for about 1,000 years, nitrous oxide remains for about 110 years, and methane, emitted by livestock, lasts for about 12 years.
Fealty to science might not be common but it is important when talking about the livelihoods of approximately 1.7 million men and women in the United States who raise livestock while accounting for just 4 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
You can read more about the conference and Dr. Mitloehner’s comments here.
The key takeaway from Dr. Mitloehner’s discussion was his encouragement of the agricultural community to continue to strive to be better.
“Sustainability is not a goal. It’s a path. You never really get there, but you make constant progress.”