The Star today has 15 'facts' about cows, one says that cattle account for anywhere between 18% and 51% of global greenhouse emissions, we all know how true that one is, but they also say that cows produce around 500 litres of methane a day which seems a hell of a lot. Can anybody give an accurate figure on that statement?
Daily Star methane figures
- Thread starter Raider112
- Start date
- Location
- Devon
They have chosen the highest/ worse figures in the range but it isn't exactly wrong.
A good article;
https://ideas.ted.com/methane-isnt-...-didnt-know-about-this-potent-greenhouse-gas/
A good article;
https://ideas.ted.com/methane-isnt-...-didnt-know-about-this-potent-greenhouse-gas/
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
The daily star?! Jesus I’d rather get my facts from the daily sport!
Looks like it's less than 200 litres a day if I worked it out right. Still a lot but less than 500 litres
The kids have moved out but we still get the stupid thing! Habit I'm afraid but yeah ok, Guilty.
- Location
- Devon
I had a quick through lots of figures and 500 litres was mentioned as the top range figure several times.
The truth is, nobody really knows.
I would imagine the 500 litre figure comes from extrapolating worse case scenario guesstimates and is a long way from the truth.
I have been stressed out by the anti-farming lobby continually twisting the statistics to demonise agriculture but now I don't worry. The more they exaggerate the problem the easier it will be to show considerable improvement!!!
I think it will be shown that most meat and dairy products can be produced in a carbon neutral [or even better] way whereas many other sectors simply can't with using us to 'offset'.
Cowabunga
Member
- Location
- Ceredigion,Wales
There just must be some accurate figures out there with different diet scenarios. Surely it is a matter of finding them.
There has been plenty of that kind of research over many decades if only on MAFF/ADAS research farms such as Trawscoed. The current system of ruminant dietary requirements and calculations must take account of digestion efficiency including the expelled gas, for instance. This will, at least initially have been formulated after controlled trials with actual cows. Therefore it should be matter of finding the correct papers and the people who managed these trials.
How many billions of people in the world belching an farting? Anyone done a study on that? I might contact the beeb an see if they can get a programme going! Instead of constantly bashing agriculture they could give the general public something to worry about, “how to bring down the emissions in your household”!! Mankind has polluted the planet with all sorts of ? that the general population thinks it now can’t do without, why don’t they inflict a few regulations on them!! Massive corks that’s what he need, bung them cows up good an proper !!!
I like to go to Viz for my fact finding
Gordy1
Member
- Location
- Essex/suffolk border
What about horses don’t here much about them you don’t want to stand behind one of them big old nags when they let rip!!!.....you see more horses in fields than cows these days.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Yes and the letters page is very enlightening too ?I like to go to Viz for my fact finding
Methane belched by cows does not contribute to climate change.
To get sucked into arguments about how much methane a cow belches every day is to sound like the NFU: "we know we are bad, but we aren't as bad as other countries". With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
Livestock farming really does need to learn from AR: just keep saying something often enough and it sinks in.
To repeat: Methane belched by cows does not contribute to climate change.
There have been various papers and youtube videos posted on here to back that up.
Has anyone given the Daily Star the UK livestock industries '15 facts about cows' ?
No they haven't, because, unlike AR, we are completely and utterly useless.
Did I say: Methane belched by cows does not contribute to climate change.
To get sucked into arguments about how much methane a cow belches every day is to sound like the NFU: "we know we are bad, but we aren't as bad as other countries". With friends like that, who needs enemies ?
Livestock farming really does need to learn from AR: just keep saying something often enough and it sinks in.
To repeat: Methane belched by cows does not contribute to climate change.
There have been various papers and youtube videos posted on here to back that up.
Has anyone given the Daily Star the UK livestock industries '15 facts about cows' ?
No they haven't, because, unlike AR, we are completely and utterly useless.
Did I say: Methane belched by cows does not contribute to climate change.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
You can say it as many times as you like, but it doesn’t make it true.
Methane is a greenhouse gas, and cows produce methane. The molecule is CH4. Now, what’s so special about the CH4 that cows produce that means it doesn’t contribute?
MDL POWERUP
Member
Because the grass they are eating is locking more carbon up than if it was left and not grazed?
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
That’s as maybe, and the overall net effect may be neutral, but the gas belched will be a greenhouse gas.
- Location
- Fife
The Profanisaurus is doing wonders for my vocabulary.
MDL POWERUP
Member
Just like volcanoes, buffalo, humans etc etc etc
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Yes. The source of the methane molecule has no bearing on its ability to be a GHG. They all are.
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Its different figures i normally study in daily star!