Cows are One of the Top Emitters of Green House Gasses fact

Do Cows Cause Global Warming?

Cows are on of the top emitters of greenhouse gases. A single cow on average release between 70 and 120 kg of methane (a greenhouse gas) per year. Meanwhile, there are roughly 1 – 1.5 billion cows on earth as of 2018.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

That works out to about 100 x 1,000,000,000 = 100 billion kilograms of methane produced a year (if we assume the 1 million count for cattle and take 100 kg as the average for methane production from cattle).

Add to the above that the negative effect of methane on the climate is estimated to be 18 – 23 times higher than that of CO2 (depends on the source what the estimate is), and we have an udder cow-tastrophe on our hands.

Not only that, but other livestock also add to the tally. Then add to that the deforestation that occurs in relation to livestock… and it really starts to get absurd. Add to that the total impact of farming and agriculture in general, everything from farm to table, and… you get the point.

Said simply, the meat and dairy industry, agriculture, farming, livestock, deforestation, cows, farm equipment, the processing of all the products, transporting them to market, and all the related have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions. And, from there, if you believe greenhouse gasses contribute to climate change, then we can say agriculture is a leading cause of manmade (and in some cases cow made with the help of man) climate change.

All that said, cows (or more broadly agriculture) are hardly the only cause of greenhouse gas emissions. First off, of just livestock beef production is the top source of greenhouse gasses. However, lamb, pork, and chicken production are also on the list (meaning lambs, pigs, and chickens are also guilty of causing global warming to some extent; not specifically from their flatulation, but from the whole process of raising livestock to food production).

Also, agriculture is only one cause of greenhouse gas emission. The top cause is Electricity, that is followed by Agriculture as a whole, followed by Manufacturing, followed by Transpiration, followed by Buildings. Meaning, its not like everything would be just fine if it weren’t for the cows.

Thus, in sum and all things considered, cow farts cause global warming. Really.

FACT: Although it isn’t the topic of this article, after research I would consider it a fact that greenhouse gasses contribute to global warming, which is real, which is part of “climate change” (more specifically negative manmade climate change). Learn more about how greenhouse gasses contribute to global warming.

FACT: Global warming is occurring at a rapid rate which could impact the ability of the human race to survive as it does today. The worst case is horrifying, the best case isn’t that great. Learn more about global warming from the IPCC’s 2018 report.

FACT: According to Bill Gate’s GatesNotes.com, if cattle were a country, they would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.

1. Climate change and the 75% problem. GatesNotes.com.
2. Methane emissions from cattle. NIH.Gov.
3. Do Cow Farts Actually Contribute to Global Warming? Gizmodo.com.
4. Are cows the cause of global warming? TimeForChange.Org.
5. World Cattle Inventory: Ranking Of Countries Beef2Live.com.