Prelim Bits

Impact of Livestock on Climate Change Livestock Livestock and livestock-related activities such as deforestation and increasingly fuel-intensive farming practices are responsible for over 18% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, including → 9% of global carbon dioxide emissions 35–40% of global methane emissions (chiefly due to enteric fermentation and manure) 64% of global nitrous oxide emissions (chiefly due to fertilizer use.) Livestock activities also contribute disproportionately to land-use effects , since crops such as corn and alfalfa are cultivated in order to feed the animals. In 2010, Enteric Fermentation accounted for 43% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from all agricultural activity in the world. The meat from ruminants has a higher carbon equivalent footprint than other meats or vegetarian sources of protein. Methane production by animals, principally ruminants, is estimated 15-20%...

Impact of Rice production on Climate Change The worldwide production of rice accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions ( GHG ) in total than that of any other plant food . It was estimated in 2021 to be responsible for 30% of agricultural methane emissions and 11% of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions . Methane release is caused by long-term flooding of rice fields , inhibiting the soil from absorbing atmospheric oxygen , a process causing Anaerobic Fermentation of organic matter in the soil. A 2021 study estimated that rice contributed 2 billion tonnes of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in 2010 , of the 47 billion total. The study added up GHG emissions from the entire lifecycle, including production, transportation, and consumption, and compared the global totals of different foods. The total for rice was half the total for bee Water usage → Rice requires slightly more water to produce than other grains. R...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture Agriculture contributes towards climate change through Greenhouse Gas Emissions and by the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land . In 2019 the IPCC reported that 13%-21% of anthropogenic greenhouse gasses came specifically from the Agriculture, Forestry , and Other Land Uses Sector (AFOLU) . Emissions from agriculture of NITROUS OXIDE , METHANE and CARBON DIOXIDE make up to half of the greenhouse-gases produced by the overall food industry, or 80% of agricultural emissions. Animal husbandry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions through practices such as rice production and the raising of livestock . The THREE MAIN CAUSES of the increase in greenhouse gases observed over the past 250 years have been Fossil Fuels , Land Use , and Agriculture . Farm Animal D...