Climate change is an ever-expanding global issue that we have learned to localize due to its potential destruction on our planet. One of the most debated topics of discussion within the climate change community is whether cow burps actually cause global warming. While there is a level of controversy in the scientific community surrounding this topic, there is also sufficient evidence available to suggest that methane emissions from cows contribute to global warming.
Methane is a gas produced by the digestive process within animals with a digestive system similar to a cow’s, such as sheep and goats. The bacteria in their stomachs helps to break down their food particles and they burp it out in the form of methane. Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, which it rapidly absorbs heat and releases it back into the atmosphere. The more methane that is expelled, the more heat around the Earth that is created. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the global livestock sector produces up to 14.5 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions — the majority of which come from cows burping.
Other sources of methane are waste management, landfill sites and natural gas leaks. The natural gas industry also emits a lot of methane every year, significantly more than cow burping. In this sense, methane from cattle can seem insignificant in comparison. However, if these emissions are reduced, it could have a huge effect on the Earth’s climate and long-term sustainability.
The good news is that there are solutions to the problem. Scientists research ways to reduce methane production, such as changing the type of roughage that cows consume, breeding animals to be more methane-resistant, and developing a vaccine to reduce burping, among other approaches. Reducing methane production by livestock can be a difficult process, but there are a few solutions that could help lower the amount of methane emission from cattle and thus reduce the major factor contributing to global warming.
The potential for cow burps to contribute to global warming is real and there are ways to reduce this contribution. However, reducing methane emissions from cows alone cannot solve the global warming problem. Many other sources of methane exist, and some of these could be larger contributors to the problem than cattle burping. For global warming to be stopped effectively, the emissions from all sources need to be addressed.
Through research, the human race can come to a more sustainable balance with nature and stop climate change before it’s too late. We all need to work together to save our planet, starting today.
