Why don’t eco-activists support a major cut in methane emissions from cows instead? Carbon tax?

Question

Each molecule of methane has 21 times as much global warming potential as a molecule of CO2, and we already have cost-effective ways that farmers can cut livestock-emitted methane.
So what about this? And not even counting sheep and pigs and goats oh my.

Answer 1

There are two cycles of carbon and methane. There is the short term cycle and the long term one.

True cows are the primary source of greenhouse gases in California. I have read the papers. But cows and other livestock fit into the short term carbon cycle. That means that the carbon that they will release will only be in the atmosphere for about five years.

Power plants on the other hand are releasing carbon that has been in the long term carbon cycle. It was taken out of the atmosphere millions of years ago and will take millions of years to take it back out.

Here is an idea. What if we made it economical to collect the methane from animals to create power. It is a renewable source of natural gas that will do little to increase global warming.

Answer 2

I am an "eco-activist".
23 years ago I woke up to what was going on.
23 years ago I changed my diet to reflect my awareness of what's going on around me.
23 years ago I stopped eating meat.

Anyone who is a true ecologically concerned citizen does not eat meat, for many other reasons besides the fact that cows fart.

I don't foist my belief system or any part of it onto anyone else. I have taken responsibility for my own impact and education and through this way I hope to encourage others to do as I have done - the best way to lead is by example!

There's a very good book available called "Beyond Beef" by Jeremy Rifkin. There's a blurb on the back which says "Before reading "Beyond Beef", take a third of a pound of ground beef, broil it for about four minutes on each side, place it on a bun and savour every bite. You're not going to want another hamburger for a long, long time!"

Love and Light,


Jarrah

Answer 3

It's a great point.
And I'm sure there are lots of eco-activists who DO support this.
However in the mainstream, they cannot address this. It is much harder to tell people to change their diets than to tell people to cut carbon emissions by becoming more efficient. Driving less or turning off your lights saves the consumer money. Eating less meat, to many people, is a daily disturbance.

Keep in mind methane has a much shorter residence time in the atmosphere.

Answer 4

Well first u need to tell me how they measured all this methane?? Methane is a very light gas and if there is anything near what they say it would be a big lake in our upper atmosphere . I can not find it is the hole thing a scam??

Answer 5

Cap10, How much will the job pay? You know running around out in a field with some kind of cylinder with a hose recovering the cow farts.