Christopher PapesGregory TulchinColin Sullivan

V1003 Climate and SocietyFall 2009

The Scientific Issue• 56 billion livestock animals are raised and killed

around the world, and this number is expected to double by 2050.

• Currently, 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock, more than the entire worldwide transportation industry.

• 70 percent of the agricultural land, which makes up 30 percent of the earth's surface, is involved in some capacity with raising farm animals.

Livestock Industry• The industry has succeeded in meeting

demand today, but at what cost?

Effects on Global Warming• Enteric Fermentation:

– In this process, the large fore-stomach (rumen) of ruminant animals, microbial fermentation converts their fibrous feed into digestible products, which produces methane as a by-product.

– 86 million tons of methane per year.• Manure:

– A dairy cow produces 112 pounds of manure per day and a hog produces about 11 pounds per day.

– 18 million tons per year of methane.

Effects on Global Warming• Land-Use Change:

– Global livestock-induced emissions from deforestation amount to 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Effects on Global Warming• Artificial Fertilizer Production:

– 14 million tons of nitrogenous fertilizer are produced each year with the fossil fuel consumption emitting roughly 41 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• On-Farm Fossil Fuel Use:– On-farm fossil fuel use contributes up to 90

million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year.

Case Study: Australia • Carbon Farming:

– Livestock grazing takes up 56 percent of total land use.

– Involves crop rotation and zero-tillage.

– CO2 naturally seeps into vegetation leaves and attracts fungi. Once the plant and roots dissolve, the carbon is incorporated into the soil. QuickTime™ and a

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Solutions• Improved Efficiency and Better Diets

– Increasing the efficiency of livestock production in the US over a thirty-year period has reduced methane emissions by 170,000 tons while producing 10,000,000 more tons of milk .

• Protection of Forests– International funding is necessary to protect

tropical forests, with money coming from the developed countries to help developing states cope with the problem.

Conclusion• As China and India continue to develop, their

populations will likely consume more animal products, with meat consumption predicted to double between 2002 and 2020.

• If current methods of raising and harvesting these animals continue, GHGs will rise dramatically.

• New technologies and techniques need to be developed that allow farmers in developing nations to efficiently and effectively reduce the ecological impact of their livestock.

• Furthermore, we need to consider our diet as a contributor to our 'carbon footprint.'