A draft proposal in New Zealand aims to address methane emissions linked to global warming, one cow and sheep burp at a time.
June 10, 2022 – If the plan is adopted, the nation would become the first to charge farmers for the methane emissions emanating from their livestock.
Cows and sheep belong to a class of mammals known as ruminants because they have stomachs that are separated into compartments, the largest of which is the rumen. The rumen chamber is populated by a community of microbes that help break down fibrous plant cellulose the animals are unable to digest. Globally, bovine burps are responsible for roughly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity, according to theof the United Nations. Every one of the world’s 1.4 billion cows burps up to 500 liters of methane daily. In Australia, farm animals are responsible for up to half of the country’s methane emissions.