Animals play a role.
AI Overview
Animal agriculture contributes a significant amount of global warming, with estimates ranging from about 11% to nearly 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with a widely cited figure of 14.5%
. These emissions come from sources like methane from ruminant digestion (e.g., cow burps) and nitrous oxide from fertilizer use for animal feed, with methane being a potent greenhouse gas.
- Percentage of global emissions: The most frequently cited figure, from a 2013 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report, is that livestock production accounts for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. More recent analyses and studies have suggested a range, with some putting the figure around 11% and others as high as 19.6%.
- Major greenhouse gases:
- Methane (
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): Ruminant animals like cattle, sheep, and goats produce methane through fermentation in their digestive systems. This is expelled through burps and flatulence. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, although it has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. - Nitrous oxide (
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): This is released from the use of fertilizers to grow animal feed. Nitrous oxide has a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide, with a global warming impact nearly 300 times greater over a 100-year period.
- Other environmental impacts: Beyond direct emissions, animal agriculture also contributes to global warming and climate change through deforestation, land use, water pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- Future projections: As global demand for meat, eggs, and dairy is expected to grow, so will the associated emissions unless significant changes are made to production practices and consumption patterns
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