In essence, an LCA is a cradle-to-grave analysis that evaluates the inputs and outputs of a production system from the beginning to the end of its life cycle, hence the name.
What is the difference between the glass of milk you enjoy today and the one that your grandparents drank decades ago? While they may look and taste similar, the present day one has a much lower carbon, water, and land footprint. In short, it’s better for the environment than ever before.
Effective manure management practices on dairy farms can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cows, lowering their climate change impacts as well as keeping soil and waterways healthy.
The terms “carbon neutral” and “climate neutral” are part of the lexicon of global climate change terms. Though they are sometimes used interchangeably, they have different definitions. Understanding the nuances is important.
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 biogenic methane (methane from cattle) 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.
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.
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.
