Although
CO2 emissions are typically believed to be the primary source of global
warming, a study conducted by Dutch government researcher Dr. Petra
Kroon has found that non-CO2 emissions, specifically those from methane
and nitrous oxide, have in fact been underestimated due to inaccurate
measuring methods.
By devising an innovative technique to
measure the emission of these gases, Dr. Kroon, who was conducting
research on behalf of the Netherlands’ Energy Research Center and Delft
University of Technology, was able to calculate their contributions more
accurately.
She found that the previous methods used by the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for measuring these gases
would account in the Netherlands for 14% percent of overall greenhouse
gas emissions, and 23% globally.
However, Dr. Kroon’s newly
available technology and methods that allowed measurements across
several hectares continuously yielded vastly different measurements,
which were also calculated with a much higher degree of certainty.
Using
this technique, Dr. Kroon found, for example, that 70% of the annual
greenhouse gas emissions in a peat pasture area used for intensive dairy
farming were attributed to methane and nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide and
methane are known to be linked to agriculture, with the methane mostly
released from cattle and nitrous oxide emitted primarily by their manure
as well as fertilizers. These two gases are also known to have a much
higher global warming potential than CO2, which could change other
calculations considerably.
Our appreciation, Dr. Kroon, the Netherlands and Delft University of Technology for this insightful research.
May
individuals and governments alike quickly adopt more sustainable ways
such as organic vegan farming to cool and restore our planetary balance.
During a November 2009 videoconference in the United States, Supreme
Master Ching Hai discussed research findings that also confirmed the
significance of nitrous oxide and methane and their main source in
animal agriculture.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Now,
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that
livestock raising is the single largest human use of land, the biggest
source of water pollution, the number one cause of biodiversity loss,
and the top producer of human-caused methane and nitrous oxide.
Furthermore,
NASA announced that methane actually contributes much more to global
warming than previously understood and it traps 100 times the
atmospheric heat over 20 years.
And the largest source of methane is?
You know - livestock. There is an advantage of time here, because one
aspect of methane is that it dissipates in around 12 year’s time,
whereas carbon dioxide, CO2, stays in the atmosphere for up to thousands
of years.
So, we remove the livestock-generated methane, and the planet cools fast!
I
am positive we will do it. Yes? We can make it – just a little change,
just a little change. Just a little piece of animal meat, change to
vegetable protein.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701090330.htm http://www.ecn.nl/nl/nieuws/item/date/2010/07/01/emissies-van-broeikasgassen-methaan-en-lachgas-onderschat/