Burping Cows Are Causing Climate Change
By Scott Macmillan and David Fox
On Tuesday 2nd of November the world leaders came together to sign ‘The Global Methane Pledge’ and a lot of blame for climate change was put on cow burps. But how is this possible?
What is methane?
Methane is a greenhouse gas which means it is a harmful gas that is very good at keeping the world warm. Imagine it like a blanket that covers the earth and doesn’t let the heat escape. When this heat isn’t allowed to escape it warms the Earth and causes global warming. Methane is very dangerous because it keeps a lot of heat in for a long period of time.
So, what about cows?
It may seem strange that cows cause climate change, yet when they burp or fart they release a lot of methane. When cows eat grass some of it gets turned into methane.
The methane that comes from cows is worse for the environment than even cars or planes! This is because a lot of land is used for farming cows. The equivalent land used is nearly the size of Asia and Europe combined!
What are we doing about this?
When world leaders met on Tuesday they realised the problem methane is causing. They decided that something needed to be done about it and agreed to lower the amount of methane in the air by 30%. This will make a massive difference to our environment.
What can you do to help?
Talk to your parents about how much meat and dairy you consume. Ask if you could lower the amount of meat and dairy you eat. You could try alternatives like quorn or oatmilk and you might prefer it to the real stuff!
Sources
https://ourworldindata.org/agricultural-land-by-global-diets
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/making-cattle-more-sustainable
