[InvisibleChurch]

[NGC 6822]

Something doesn't seem right here. If the cattle herds today are producing too much methane; what were the great buffalo herds and their buffalo patties doing some centuries ago? In other words, what is the domestic animal population of today, compared to the wild animal population of yesteryear?

[JustDoItAlways]

This is now a DEAD story.

Methane levels in the atmosphere have stabilized and might be falling now. The cattle herds are safe again.

http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/aggi/aggi-web-fig2.png

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/uoc--loi112006.php

[darkwing104]

I wonder what percentage of Global warming is being generated buy these junk science blow-hards...80%?

I know Al Gore is good for at least 10%

[mmmRamen]

a problem with livestock farting? i think i know a man who can help us!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This thread is useless without useless charts. ;)

[Shermy]

Slightly off topic, but by unusual event this week I acquired a substantial amount of reindeer meat.

Anyone have good recipes for me?

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Put Beano in the livestock feed!

[KarlInOhio]

One answer: Eat more veal and lamb. Don't give the critters much time to warm the globe.

[upchuck]

MEAT AND THE PLANET

As Dave Barry might say, "Great name for a rock band."

LOL!

[traditional1]

We're all DOOMED I tell ya........DOOMED!

[Cementjungle]

Something to really look forward to!

[SampleMan]

Anyone know how many bizillion wild herbivores there were 30,000 years ago? What about just American bison?

What is the contribution of whales, elephants, and panda bears?

What a load of crap ;-)

[MosesKnows]

Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect

This assumes that someone actually knows whether natural global climate change is warming or cooling. However, if we accept that assumption it is then fair, and also logical, to request a listing of all other things that are responsible. This logical request is based on another assumption; the assumption that the total must be known in order to know what makes up 18% of that total.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

The human passion for meat is certainly not about to end anytime soon. Our health and the health of the planet depend on pushing livestock production in more sustainable directions.

.eat TOFU or we are doomed.

[TigersEye]

At present, there are about 1.5 billion cattle and domestic buffalo and about 1.7 billion sheep and goats in the world.

The 2002 census of cattle and calves in the U.S. was 95,497,994. That isn't much higher than the estimated number of buffalo (60-80 million) that inhabited the plains of North America before the evil white man wiped them out. Buffalo are generally bigger than cattle, eat more and, naturally, fart more. So there is no significant net difference in ruminant produced methane. I expect the same could be said for Africa where fantastically large herds of animals roamed a century or two ago. If anything today's domestic livestock are a good deal fewer in number than the wild herds of old.

[Young Werther]

It's all those Mustangs, Pintos along with the Tauruii, not to menation the bears who cr@p in the woods and those devilish moose turds!

[bert]

I ran the numbers and the besI could come up with was 8%.

I think they failed to include an allowance for herd animal decline on the North American plains and African plains. This decline reduces the number by 8.3%.

It also appears that they miscalculated the effect of kelp flowers and krill. Taken together thay make up the difference.

All in all, I think they did pretty shoddy work.

[Beckwith]

Livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect

And politicians are responsible for the rest.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Maybe we should start by killing off all the animals that don't help to sustain human life. (e.g. pandas, koalas, manatees, squirrels and other wildlife.)

It's hard to imagine that domestiaced animals are farting more than wild ones.

[3niner]

The Sun is responsible for 100% of global warming.