Concerns are raised about the impacts of ruminants producing methane on global warming. But what about the vast number of ruminants that have been wiped out? Millions of bison in North America, probably over 80% of the antelope, buffalo and other big grazers in Africa etc. They must have farted methane too, but no more.
And the last Ice Age was a period of truly immense herds, often of animals much bigger than their modern relatives.
Why did these not cause warmiing in the past?
2006-09-06 23:27:56 · 10 answers · asked by Paul FB 3 in Environment
Many years ago, the population of vast herd were naturally kept under control and could not exceed a number higher than their environment could allow.
These days, modern farming techniques allow a much greater number of animals to be 'produced' in a much smaller, more confined space.
2006-09-06 23:42:19 · answer #1 · answered by true_strike 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe the point is that there are all these animals producing methane *as well as* all the truly anthropogenic emissions like cars, factories, building etc. I don't know how many bison you'd need to emit the same amount per year as your average American car but there are millions of cars now instead.
Maybe you answered your own question with; "the last Ice Age was a period of truly immense herds." Maybe those herds are what caused the end of it. In fact, in future years maybe we'll look back at these "herds" of cars farting out gases and curse them for ending the "Temperate Age".
As an amusing aside, I heard that killing off all the mad cows was a major contributor to the UK meeting it's greenhouse emissions targets in the '90s. Not sure what effect burning them all had though...
2006-09-07 23:08:49 · answer #2 · answered by jamie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This shows two things, first that scientists are will to bite at anything that seems a clue to the problems of today (and the new theory is that global warming is releasing methane from the earth as the ice caps melt), and the desperation of scientists to get their names mentioned in print. We have heard that there is scientific evidence that the earth is warming....how...by rings on trees...or what? I am not convinced that this is a man-created problem but perhaps a cyclical event. I am not saying that pollution isn't a problem but fishing for answers is not much help to solving it.
2006-09-06 23:40:05 · answer #3 · answered by Frank 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
the impact of concentrated environmental damage in the last 50 years has caused the backlash blame to be shifted to those who cannot speak i.e. grazing animals are not suddenly causing more methane contributing to global warming but that induistrial 'advacements' are increasing.
2006-09-06 23:42:59 · answer #4 · answered by skye 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
May be in the past they were very few but now they have produced and reprodeced which has resulted into overgraizing thus causing greenhouse gases.
2006-09-06 23:33:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it truly is referred to as the "horning order". there is continuously a lead cow, horse, sheep, etc. that the others keep on with. even as this animal walks, the others keep on with. even as this animal grazes, the others keep on with adventure. they frequently objective interior an analogous route so as that they can shop a watch on the chief.
2016-11-25 02:08:15 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but now we have a lot of farm animals like cows etc.
2006-09-06 23:34:31 · answer #7 · answered by Nothing to say? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They improve the Nitrogen cycle.
2006-09-07 01:31:18 · answer #8 · answered by marzmargs12 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look. Stop wasting my time with silly questions!
2006-09-07 04:04:29 · answer #9 · answered by Steve M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
but your ear to it **** and youll know
2006-09-07 06:54:59 · answer #10 · answered by tin tin 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋