On October 3, Dr. Frank Mitlohener spoke at the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer Series in a talk titled Myths and Misconceptions about a Climate Footprint of Animal Agriculture. His talk clarified common misconceptions about the climate impact of animal agriculture, addressing its carbon footprint in relation to total greenhouse gas emissions and how methane’s short-lived nature impacts quantifying emissions.

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.  

A healthy portion of animal agriculture’s bad rap comes from the falsehood that livestock is the primary source of greenhouse gases in our society.

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?”)

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.