Monday, October 2, 2017

Cattle methane was under-estimated

An updated report from the United Nations says methane, a greenhouse gas from cattle belches and farts, was under-estimated by 11 per cent for 2011.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change issues periodic reports, drawn from data provided by thousands of scientists, to help leaders take action on climate change.

"In many regions, livestock numbers are changing, and breeding has resulted in larger animals with higher intakes of food," said Julie Wolf, a researcher in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and lead author of a study in the journal Carbon Balance and Management.

"This, along with changes in livestock management, can lead to higher methane emissions."


Earlier estimates, she added in a statement, were based on "out-of-date data".