AsianScientist (Jun. 2, 2011) – Australia’s huge cattle herd in the north of the country might be burping less planet-warming methane emissions than thought: up to 30 percent less than previously determined.
The findings, released by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) this week, suggest that cows are more climate friendly than believed and could impact how Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are calculated.
With about half of the nation’s 27 million strong beef herd located in northern Australia, current greenhouse gas accounts indicate that methane from the northern cattle industry contributes about 4.5 percent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. A 30 percent reduction in emissions would total about 7.4 million tons, or roughly the amount of a large coal-fired power station.
The research could also have significant implications for neighboring New Zealand as half of their gas emissions come from agriculture, mostly sheep and cattle. Contrary to popular belief, 90-95 percent of methane emissions from cows is through exhalation and burping, with only a small amount from flatulence.
In the study, greenhouse gas emissions from Brahman cattle fed a wide range of tropical grasses were measured using CSIRO’s custom-built respiration chambers. CSIRO research leader Dr. Ed Charmley said:
“While you always have to be cautious in extending lab data to the field and across an industry, we have been able to cross-check our findings with methane detecting laser systems used in the field. CSIRO research also shows that northern cattle fed on a diet of predominantly Leucaena, a legume tree, emit less methane than cattle grazing on tropical grasses.”
While the findings do not change actual emissions, research at CSIRO is focused on addressing cattle methane emissions from several angles, including the study of gut microbes that produce methane and examining how northern Australia’s landscape affect methane emissions.
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Source: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
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