How Much Methane Do Cows Release And What Effect Does It

Have On The Environment?

By Leif Logie

How Much Methane Does A Cow Release?

• one cow produces approximately 214kg a year

• they release about 58g of methane a day.• total global methane release a day is

about 760 million kg (based on 1.3 billion cows in the world).

• total annual global methane release is about 280 billion kg.

Do Cows Contribute To Global Warming?

• methane is a greenhouse gas• It is 23 times more effective than

carbon dioxide at keeping heat in the atmosphere.

Is The Methane Released By Cows Strong Enough To Harm Animals Near By And If So How?

• It is not concentrated enough to actually harm any animals

• Under certain circumstances it might be harmful.

Is there any way to reduce the environmental impact of methane released by cows?

• There is way of growing different types of grass that can help.

• Some farmers take the methane out of cow dung and use it.

Interesting Facts

• As I was searching for this information I saw a range of statistics for how much methane cows release

• Almost all of the methane released by cows is not actually farted

• The top 2 countries with most cows in the world are– Brazil, – India,  

conclusion

I chose this project to see which of the myths and legends are true, and I am rather impressed by my results.

Bibliography (Page 1)

• How Stuff Works, AdiscoveryCompany, (17 June 2003), Do cows pollute as much as cars, 23/8/2012

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/methane-cow.htm

 • Department of Primary Industries (State

Government of Victoria), (29th may 2012), reducing methane emissions from dairy cows, 22/08/2012, http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/about-agriculture/newsletters-and-updates/newsletters/how-now-gippy-cow/september/reducing-methane-emissions-from-dairy-cows

Bibliography (Page 2)

• Small-M, Wordpress, (8th April 2007), Top 15 Country on Highest Number of Cattle, 23/8/2012, quoting Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas (2003)

http://micpohling.wordpress.com/2007/04/08/world-top-15-country-on-highest-number-of-cattle/ • Time For Change, Juerg Rohrer, (before 23

September 2008), Are cows the cause of global warming, 23/8/2012

http://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-of-global-warming-meat-methane-CO2

Bibliography (Page 3)

• Queensland Government, (12 March 2007), glossary, 16/09/12,

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/documents/plans_strategies/abbreviations_glossary_references_climate_change_energy_taskforce_report.pdf • Australian Institute of Energy, AIE, (14

October 2009), fact sheet 8; biomass, 16/09/12

http://aie.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/Resources/SchoolProjects/FS8_BIOMASS.pdf