CLEAR Center

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a warming potential more than 28 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2). But when it comes to livestock and climate change, there are many other characteristics that set it apart from CO2. Here are an important four:

It’s often helpful to look at the big picture when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, as it makes it easier to identify areas we need to focus on, but context is still necessary. Greenhouse gas emissions – as well as production – vary by each country and stating emission numbers without specifying a geographic region can drastically impact our approach to climate change solutions.

Countries around the world have varying greenhouse gas emissions policies to help limit climate change, with some stricter than others. Carbon leakage refers to a situation where a company decides to move their production from a country with stringent policies, to a country that is more lenient, leading to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.  

Dairies typically use lagoons to help manage manure from cattle. These lagoons produce methane, a greenhouse gas that affects our climate. In recent years, California dairies have been working with state agencies to implement new ways to manage manure and reduce the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere. One way is by using dairy digesters. 

While all greenhouse gases (GHG) have a warming effect on our planet, this warming effect is not equivalent across all GHG. These gases behave differently in the atmosphere and their long-term effects on climate change vary. The major factor contributing to a GHG warming effect is whether it is a stock or flow gas.  

California is taking bold steps in the fight against climate change implementing laws and policies, such as the Cap-and-Trade program, designed to drastically cut down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the last decade, the Golden State has introduced several new bills, including Assembly Bill 32, Senate Bill 32 and SB 1383, and has been successfully working towards meeting the greenhouse gas mitigation goals outlined in these bills.  

Here’s what you need to know: 

By Samantha Werth

Cattle are often thought to contribute to climate change because they belch methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas. While this is true, cattle do belch methane, it is actually part of an important natural cycle, known as the biogenic carbon cycle.

Does eating beef in the U.S. lead to deforestation in places such as the Amazon? That’s an increasingly common question, to which the short answer is no.

But let’s dive into the long answer.

A healthy portion of animal agriculture’s bad rap comes from the falsehood that livestock is the major source of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

It sounds counterintuitive, but new research is pointing to the fact that instead of merely heating up our atmosphere with the potent gas methane, cows might actually be able to cool it down. It all has to do with what happens to methane after it enters the atmosphere, and with the advances American farmers and ranchers have made in the past 70 years.

When animals are criticized for the part they play in climate change, most often it’s the cattle that take it on the chin. While beef and other products that come from cattle are popular in the United States and abroad, what cattle are often singled out for is the result of a digestive system that differs from those of poultry and swine, two other favorite sources of protein. 

Perhaps more helpful than asking if meat is bad for the planet is engaging in a dialogue about the effect meat and dairy production have on the environment and what the downside and significant upside of animal agriculture are all about.

The term “greenhouse gas effect” generally has negative connotations these days, but that hasn’t always been the case. The phenomena whereby certain gaseous compounds trap the sun’s heat and act as a blanket of insulation around Earth is what makes our planet hospitable to life. (See “What is a Greenhouse Gas?”)

The term greenhouse gas (GHG) is often bandied about – and with good reason. A number of human activities over the last several centuries have led to unprecedented increases in GHG emissions worldwide.

Simply put, a GHG is a gaseous compound that soaks up the sun’s infrared radiation, the energy that warms the Earth and its atmosphere. The GHGs trap the sun's heat and hold it, serving as a warm blanket around the planet. (See “What is the Greenhouse Gas Effect?”)

Methane (CH4) is a gas composed of carbon and hydrogen. It’s a highly flammable gas that is colorless and odorless. In fact, when there was a major methane leak in Southern California in 2016, the leak could only be seen using a special camera.