Question

There goes the myth that all methane comes from cow farts. How can we reduce the amount of methane released? Should we all become vegetarians? Why are farts composed of methane?

Please answer in at least 150 words.

Answer 1

yes it's a myth that all methane comes from cow's fart,

Though livestock is the largest source of methane gas emissions worldwide, 28 percent of methane is produced by livestock, other sources are wetlands, leaks from oil refineries and drills..

Not only cow's farting but also it's burping and manure contributes towards methane gas emission. As per a research at New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute, up to 95 percent methane comes from the cow's mouth rather than its fart. It is found that each cow produces thirty to fifty gallons of methane per day. Methane is more dangerous than the CO₂ , as it traps more heat han CO₂ in atmosphere.

Cows, sheep, goats, giraffes, and deer of ruminant family have four stomachs, they store their food in the first chamber of the stomach, called the rumen, before regurgitating it. This regurgitated food is called "cud" and the animals chew it again to break it down for easy digestion. Inside the rumen, more than four hundred types of microbes found, helping in digestion. These microbes create methane gas as a byproduct.

Production of methane can be reduced from livestock by these methods-

It is found that two animal food resources- leaves of leucaena tree and the flowers of the cosmos plant helps in reducing methane when given along with cattle feed. cows who eat grass mixed with the leucaena leaves belched about 36 percent less methane than eating grass alone, and the animal feed mixed with cosmos flower produced 26% less methane . Also they don't have harmful effect on milk and meat production, leuceana leaves improves the quality of cow milk.

Use of anaerobic "digesters" can be used to reduce methane emitted from cow dung.Biogas produces can be used for "free" electricity production,and natural gas or other fuel for use.

less use of meat in diet can reduce methane production as cattle and cattle fields produce huge percentage of methane gas, vegetaerianism can reduce methane production.

These microbes present in stomach of cattle produces methane gas as a by-product, during the digestion process so fart is composed of methane.