Methane emissions from cattle and other livestock, which are far more potent than CO2 emissions, may be able to be mitigated by additives in the food livestock are fed.Emissions from livestock make up between 5 and 18 percent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, depending on who you ask. Methane warms the Earth at about a 20 times faster rate than CO2.
As the Earth's population continues to grow, more livestock will need to be raised to feed the growing population. Previously, the only option seemed to be to give up meat altogether, a stance that environmentalists have long championed. But, experts say that dietary additives could not only reduce methane emissions from livestock but also provide better nutrition for the animals and higher yields to farmers.
For more information on the potential of reducing methane emissions from cattle, check out this story from cnn.com.
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