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A just-published analysis of data received from a satellite in 2004 has shown that at least during that year, livestock in the U.S. emitted more methane into the atmosphere than did the oil and gas industry. In their article published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, a team of researchers from Harvard University, California Institute of Technology and the University of California studying the data note that such emissions were far higher than was reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Specifically, the researchers found satellite data showed livestock emitted 13 million tons of methane over the summer in 2004 (the EPA reported 9.7 million tons). They found the satellite data also showed that the combined emissions of the oil and gas industry amounted to 7 million tons (the EPA reported 9.9 million tons).
Unfortunately the sensor on the satellite was unable to show methane amounts after 2004, thus more data is not available. That will, however, change soon as a new satellite with sophisticated atmospheric gas monitoring sensors aboard is set to launch next year. More information on the role that methane plays in changing our climate can be found here.
(Score: 2) by pe1rxq on Saturday July 12 2014, @10:02PM
It has nothing to do with global warming because cows are not releasing carbon that has been underground for milions of years.
If anybody uses this research to link global warming to cow farts he/she is either clueless or lying.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @10:23PM
> It has nothing to do with global warming because cows are not releasing carbon
This is about methane not co2. Methane has a much larger impact on global warming per ton than co2, like orders of magnitude more. But there is much less of it being created too.
(Score: 3, Informative) by pe1rxq on Sunday July 13 2014, @12:04AM
The carbon source for the methane still matters.
The methane released by cows is part of a short cycle. (a bit more complex than CO2, but methane is still broken down over time).
The extra methane comming from fossil fuels is a far bigger problem, it was not part of this short cycle before and the mechanisms breaking down methane will not get rid of it as quick as we are adding it.
(Score: 1) by deimtee on Monday July 14 2014, @12:16AM
Methane has a pretty short half-life before it oxidises to CO2 and water. Either UV catalyzed, or it gets up high enough to react with ozone.
Regardless of how much is emitted (excluding something like an ocean clathrate catastrophe) it is effectively gone in twelve years.
One job constant is that good employers have low turnover, so opportunities to join good employers are relatively rare.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday July 13 2014, @03:00AM
Yeah, it's a pretty safe bet that if you backtrack this article you'll find an animal rights or 'earth first' type organization. They excel at lying via statistics.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.