Beef Buzz News
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, UC-Davis, Says Science Tells us With Stable Cow Herds, we Are Not Adding to Climate Warming
Mon, 10 May 2021 07:59:05 CDT
Science tells us with a stable cattle herd, we are not adding to climate warning, said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Animal Science Department at the University of California, Davis.
During a recent presentation to the Animal Agricultural Alliance conference, Mitloehner, who is known as the "greenhouse gas guru" for his research on the subject, explained the science behind cattle emitting methane.
Cows burp out methane as part of a natural cycle as their complex ruminant system digest and break down plant material.
The methane, after about a decade, is broken down, destroyed and made into CO2, he said.
Cows do not contribute additional CO2 to the atmosphere because when the methane breaks down and goes back into CO2, that is the same CO2 as it was when it went into the plant, he said.
This is called the biogenic or biological carbon cycle, he noted, and contrasts with fossil fuels which emit greenhouse gases.
The California scientist uses a bathtub with an open drain to illustrate the issue saying as you pour water in, it flows out, and the level does not change.
That is what is happening with our cattle herds, he said.
Herds are stable and the amount of methane produced by cattle is almost equal to the amount removed through oxidation, Mitloehner said.
This theory is basically in line with the Paris Climate Accords is stressing, keeping the warming constant.
The science tells us with stable cattle herds we are not adding to climate warming, he added.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear more comments from Dr. Mitloehner.
The Beef buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Ron Hays Beef Buzzes With Dr. Frank Mitloehner
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