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Econation Blog
Livestock might be creating more greenhouse gases than previously thought
If recent reports by the Worldwatch Institute and NASA are correct it means that New Zealand's carbon footprint could be at least double what is currently estimated.
A report by the respected think-tank The Worldwatch Institute claims that instead of 18 per cent of global emissions being caused by livestock the true figure is 51 per cent.
They claim that United Nation's figures have severely underestimated the greenhouse gases caused by tens of billions of cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and other animals in three main areas: methane, land use and respiration.
Their findings – which are likely to prompt fierce debate among academics – come amid increasing calls from climate change experts for people to eat less meat.
In the 19-page report, Robert Goodland, a former lead environmental adviser to the World Bank, and Jeff Anhang, a current adviser, suggest that domesticated animals cause 32 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), more than the combined impact of industry and energy. The accepted figure is 18 per cent, taken from a landmark UN report in 2006, Livestock's Long Shadow.
These claims are compounded by study by NASA scientists published in Science magazine recently found that methane has significantly more effect on climate change than previously thought: 33 times more than carbon dioxide, compared with a previous factor of 25.
Download the report: Livestock and Climate Change
Posted by Michael Lockhart on 11th November, 2009 | Comments | Trackbacks
Tags: General Sustainability, Climate Change
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