Question

Approximately how much methane does one cow produce per year? How does the greenhouse gas warming effect of methane compare to carbon dioxide? Describe the organisms that digest and ferment the hay inside of the cow’s stomach? How are scientists reducing the amount of methane released from cows?

Answer 1

Cattle and other ruminants are significant producers of the greenhouse gas methane—contributing 37 percent of the methane emissions resulting from human activity. A single cow on average produces between 70 and 120 kg of methane per year and, worldwide, there are about 1.5 billion cattle.

While carbon dioxide is typically painted as the bad boy of greenhouse gases, methane is roughly 30 times more potent as a heat-trapping gas. ... As temperatures rise, the relative increase of methane emissions will outpace that of carbon dioxide from these sources, the researchers report.

The cow's rumen is like a large fermentation vat. More than 200 different bacteria and 20 types of protozoa help the cow to utilize fibrous feedstuffs and non-protein nitrogen sources. ... Bacteria adhere to the feed and gradually digest the fermentable material.

“You can probably reduce methane by about 20-25% by altering diet,” he says. One study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, estimated it might be possible to reduce global methane emissions from cows by 15% by changing their diet.

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