As much as I hate to say it, I love beef. I love a thick burger or a juicy steak after a long day, but as a person actively involved in the fight to stop global warming, I am conflicted. Cows (the main source of beef) are notorious polluters and contribute significantly to global warming due to their propensity to emit enormous quantities of methane gas.
But according to a new report, researchers at University College Dublin say that they have found a way to reduce cattle methane emissions by 2% — supplement their diet with fish oil. Adding omega 3 fish oils to a cow’s diet also help the cow’s heart and circulatory system and leads to better meat quality for the consumer.
Globally, cattle are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. A 2% cut in emissions is a great step in the right direction, but more must be done. Part of this can be accomplished by ensuring consumers who consume beef are aware of the carbon impact of their steaks, and encouraging practical reductions in meat consumption. Farmers can do more as well, with the help of carbon credits.
Many farms are now taking creative steps to capture the methane emissions from their animals to help prevent them from entering the atmosphere. By collecting the emissions in what is called a methane biodigester the farmer can not only capture the emissions, but also utilize the methane to create a renewable source of energy.
Because of their efficiency and clear environmental benefits, methane biodigesters have become prevalent as a means to generate carbon credits. By allowing farmers to generate revenue from carbon credits, the balance of the equation shifts in favor of taking action as opposed to allowing cows to fart us towards a warmer world. I mean, what farmer wouldn’t want to produce high quality food, protect our environment, and be able to count on revenue generated from the sale of carbon credits?
Carbonfund.org is a proud supporter of agricultural methane biodigestors. Offset your carbon footprint with Carbonfund.org and support projects like these today.
As America starts looking forward to a clean energy future and emissions reductions that are at least 80% lower than they are today, it is becoming clearer that everyone must be an active participant in the new clean energy economy. One of the groups that may be most impacted by a cap on carbon emissions are farmers and people working in the agricultural industry. Modern agriculture is very energy and resource intensive, so even small changes to the price of fuel or fertilizer can impact a farmers bottom line.
But farmers who take an active role in the fight to stop global warming and reduce emissions stand to profit from a well designed cap and trade.
According to a report in Bloomberg.com, farmers can receive carbon credits from the Chicago Climate Exchange for implementing more sustainable agricultural practices. In the report, Bloomberg cited two examples of farmers who were receiving $3,000 and $1,500 annually for implementing a ‘no-till’ farming practices. Tilling to prepare a field for agriculture releases CO2 is stored underground in organic material. No-till farming allows farmers to continue to utilize their land for agricultural purposes, but it requires farmers not to agitate their soil before planting, thus keeping organic matter and carbon emissions in the ground.
No-till farming is also cheaper than conventional farming. Farmers do not need to use machines required to till a field, saving in fuel costs and more carbon emissions. It is estimated that corn-farmers that implement no-till practices can save $83 per acre in fuel and fertilizer costs.
In addition to the emissions reductions that can be gained through no-till farming, agricultural land can also be used to produce bio-fuels that burn cleaner than conventional fuels and farm land can also be utilized for locations of wind turbines and solar panels.
The role that farmers play in the clean energy economy is going to be crucial if we want to see emissions reductions that match the goals scientists say we must reach. By taking an active role, farmers can make money, produce food and unlock more real world global warming solutions.
Support farm based carbon offsets with Carbonfund.org.
(Image Courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica)
