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Listen to lawyer, author, rancher and sustainable meat advocate Nicolette Hahn Niman explain how better management practices may be the key to reducing cattle’s carbon footprint.
Highlights:
5:43 – Increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were mostly due to a 76% increase in the oil and gas sector and 42% increase in the transportation sector, Niman says. Agriculture emissions for Canada in 2005 were 8.1% of total emissions and projected to be only 8% by 2030. Further discussion delves into various GHG produced by the agriculture industry like nitrous oxide and methane and their current and projected amounts.
16:42 – How can soil bacteria help offset methane emissions? Methanotrophs could be part of the answer! Termites might be the best example of this relationship in nature.
22:11 – But can the ag industry really be expected to do much? Yes! In the 1980’s the Rice industry was the #1 methane producer worldwide. Changes they implemented helped reduce their emissions.
22:50 – What things could agricultural producers do that might lower our methane production? Research on kelp as a supplement as well as studies on dung beetles and the use of metal weights in the rumens of cattle are just a few of the research topics currently being studied to help reduce methane production.
Useful Links:
Nicolette Hahn Niman – http://www.nicolettehahnniman.com/
Methanotrophs – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/methanotrophs
Want to learn more? Listen to Episode 11: Soil Carbon Intro with research scientist Monika Gorzelak of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Irricana rancher Doug Wray
