Cows may not be contributing to global warming

The media has done a very poor job of covering this study.  The study specifically focuses on nitrous oxide emissions from grasslands that cattle graze on.  The previous theory was that grazing cattle increase nitrous oxide emissions from grasslands, but this study concluded they actually decrease these emissions.

Problem is, nitrous oxide from grasslands are about the least of livestock's contributions to global warming.  The biggest factor is through land use change, as our meat consumption is so high that we currently have about 1.3 billion cattle on the planet, which requires a lot of grassland.  So often land use is changed, for example forests cut down to make more pasture land.  This is especially a problem in Brazil with the Amazon rainforest.  You may recall there was a major bruhaha several years back when it was discovered that a lot of McDonald's beef came from cattle raised on former rainforest land.  McDonald's may have changed their practices, but it's still a major problem in Brazil and other South American countries.

Then of course there are the methane emissions through cow burps and dung.  This story actually mentions the methane emissions, but I'm not sure why.


No, no, no.  The nitrous oxide and methane emissions are two completely separate issues.  Cattle may be beneficial in terms of nitrous oxide (except in some cases the land shouldn't have been grassland to begin with), but they're still a major source of methane.

Another example of the media screwing the pooch on a climate science story.