Put a Plug in that Cow's Butt! (save the atmosphere)

Methane emissions from oil and natural gas activities accounts for only 1.7% of all Green House Gas Emissions in the U.S. And, oil and gas related activities is not the largest contributor to methane emissions; it's livestock (primarily pigs and cows);

"In 2004, cows, pigs and other livestock expelled more than 13 million tons (12.2 megatons) of methane, from both manure and escaping body gas, according to the study, published June 26 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. The EPA estimated 9.7 million tons (8.8 teragrams) of methane from livestock in 2004."

"That same year, the researchers found 7 million tons (7.2 teragrams) of methane came from oil and gas operations. The EPA attributed 9.9 million tons (9.0 teragrams) to oil and gas industries."

The source of these quotes is from this article and the cited study; "Natural Gas? Cows Toot Out Most Methane."

http://www.livescience.com/46743-cows-methane-new-measurement-metho...

So I say to all of you anti methane emissions activists, we don't need more oil and gas regulations! Eat more beef, save the atmosphere!

Here is some more info for your reading pleasure:

Why target an industry whose emissions are low and continuing to fall – and the reason the U.S. has achieved dramatic reductions in emissions?

It’s interesting that these groups continue to focus so heavily on the oil and gas industry, when oil and gas exploration and production only accounts for a little more than one percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, as the below chart shows:

Methane 4

Even if you’re considering the entire oil and natural gas system (which includes activities outside of exploration and production), livestock overtook natural gas systems last year as the largest source of methane emissions in the United States.  That data can be seen in the following chart from EPA’s greenhouse gas inventory: combining the numbers for enteric fermentation (cows) and manure management, agriculture emits 7 percent more methane than the entire oil and natural gas system.

Methane 5

All of this leads to some important questions: Why are these groups targeting an industry whose emissions make up a small part of the puzzle – and are low and continue to fall?  Why aren’t they calling for lower emissions in industries that are emitting much more methane? Why are they trying to stop the one fuel that is responsible for bringing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to a 27 year low?

The bottom line is that if they truly cared about tackling climate change, they would be stanch supporters of natural gas.  Instead, they just push misinformation at every turn.

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by william Allen. Ladd on January 31, 2016 at 11:47am

You forgot to mention the emissions directly from the human animal Gary. Maybe the population explosion should be curtailed somewhat. Not so many automobiles will be on the roads. Not so many cows and pigs need to be raised. Not so much electricity need to be produced that use coal and other air polluting fuels. How about planting trees on abandoned farmland? 

Stay at home instead of those long vacation trips. Every cigarette that is smoked adds a tiny bit to the air pollution you know, besides causing a great deal of misery for folks with lung problems.

These are just a few things that add pollution.  Not just cows and pigs. Have you ever been near an oil refinery?  Nothing from a cow or pig can compare with the stench of an oil refinery.

Permalink Reply by Jon on January 31, 2016 at 11:54am

Lets ignore the fact that tons of methane comes from dams, due to the many layers of decomposing materials in the water.

Permalink Reply by Barry D on January 31, 2016 at 2:27pm

Jon,

Decaying organic matter produces far more methane than human activity. Great Point.

Perhaps we need to pave over some national forests; just kidding.

But that is as ridiculous an idea as the leftists claiming that man causes global warming. And, that curtailing that human activity will reduce any Green House effect (which by the way does not exist either, the main cause of temperature changes on our planet is solar activity.)

Permalink Reply by Barry D on January 31, 2016 at 2:16pm

william,

Population control is already being employed by the leftists. Ever hear of abortion?

Mosquitos cause more death by spreading disease. DDT was the most effective agent used to eliminate mosquitos. The leftists had that banned, talk about population control. Allowing millions of people to die needlessly from horrible diseases. We have population control.

BTW, the emissions from refineries etc was included in the 1.7%

Finally, humans do not significantly contribute to Green House Gases and "Global Warming". It's a myth.

That was the point of this post ( a bit tongue in cheek). There are far more natural contributors to GHG's than man could ever produce.

Who is Gary? Or are you saying that the human animal named Gary causes excess emissions?

Permalink Reply by Jon on January 31, 2016 at 4:37pm
Lol
Permalink Reply by william Allen. Ladd on February 2, 2016 at 10:40am

I simply do not like to see cattle and pigs singled out like they were on that posting that I read.  Maybe I misread the name of the person who first posted this subject. Have you ever been in the service where the army cooks often serve beans for the last meal of the day? 

A great musical conductor would have little trouble arranging the various squeakers and rumbles or the drawn out squawks emitted by  each recruit for the next few hours, into a military march.

Permalink Reply by Barry D on February 2, 2016 at 11:25am

william,

We;ll add them to the list to be over regulated.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Lilli on January 31, 2016 at 8:58pm
That will be the next big revelation. None of this is new. In the seventies, global warming was caused by the deforestation of the southamerican rain forest. There was a special tv presentation about the rising oceans and how helicopters would be saving people from the coast line. They also used to talk about the population explosion. Scientists pegged the maximum population at 20B.

I guess when the left figured out how to redistribute wealth (carbon emissions trading, cap and trade where wealthy countries buy carbon credits that go to undeveloped countries) in the name of global warming, it took on a whole new meaning.
Permalink Reply by Barry D on February 1, 2016 at 2:32am

Thomas,

Permalink Reply by Thomas Lilli on January 31, 2016 at 8:52pm
Actually, an article I recently read sites wetlands and rice production as the two largest emitters of methane.
Permalink Reply by Barry D on February 1, 2016 at 2:35am

Thomas,

And what is one of the things the lefties scream the most about? The loss of wetlands to development. They always play both sides of an argument. With so much methane comming from wetlands you'd think the lefties would want to pave every inch of ground.

I happen to agree that destruction of wetlands is detrimental, they play an important function in the water cycle.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Lilli on February 1, 2016 at 3:53am
Just replennishing Organics in farmland does the same thing. Industrial composting returns organics back into the soil taken out by industrial farming practices. Organic solids also help the ground hold water and filter it. Farmers resort to petro chemical fertilizers to augment the lack of organic material. This does nothing for the ecosystem.

Recycling of bio solids back into agricultural lands is one way to achieve that. Done correctly it is efficient use of material waste.

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