Cattle, seaweed, and global greenhouse gas emissions

Cattle, seaweed, and global greenhouse gas emissions
Author: Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2022-03-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

This study is a first attempt to estimate the impact of a red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) feed additive on total emissions from cattle and the feasibility of scaling up farmed seaweed production to meet projected demand from the livestock sector. The approach used for the analysis combines projections of supply and demand of beef and milk production to 2050 with a cattle herd model that allows calculation of animal categories by age and sex, animal weight and production, and feed intake and methane emissions from cattle. At the time of this study, the seaweed additive showed limited applicability in grazing systems as it has been used experimentally, mostly incorporated in mix rations for each treatment animal, with not enough evidence available at present to determine the time of decay of the active component in seaweed after consumption by animals with limited access to the additive. Given these limitations, this study assumes that the applicability of the seaweed additive could be extended in the future to most dairy systems via slow-release formulations that have already been developed for other CH4 inhibitors and that can be fed daily during milking time. Based on this assumption, the maximum potential reduction of enteric methane emissions of the new technology is analyzed by projecting a scenario where the seaweed additive is supplied globally to dairy cows. Results show that the seaweed additive could result in a reduction of up to 10 percent in total methane emissions from cattle compared to a No-Seaweed scenario. Most of this reduction was driven by decreased emissions in Latin America, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The estimated reduction in feed intake associated with the seaweed additive was equivalent to an annual reduction in grain consumption of approximately 50 kgs per cow, or US$5 billion in global cost savings per year. The total amount of dry seaweed needed to supply dairy cows in 2050 was estimated at 5 million metric tons per year, representing 18 percent of the world’s seaweed-farmed area. Simply assuming the sector’s long-term historical average growth rates, this production level might be reached in approximately 20 years, although there are still several open questions about production and technologies and high variability in production costs and producer prices, as A. taxiformis is not extensively produced at present. Available knowledge on seaweed production seems to suggest that, at least at the start, production of A. taxiformis will be by nearshore culture. Expansion of nearshore culture could result in site competition with established seaweed production, access to operational license and government approvals in several countries, licenses to use livestock feeds incorporating seaweed as a feed additive, and more research to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the additive in accordance with country’s regulations. The best possibilities for the development of production A. taxiformis seem to be in South Asia, for its growing demand and production of dairy products, its importance in terms of global emissions, and its location near the best- and well-established seaweed production areas in Southeast Asia.

Methane and Climate Change

Methane and Climate Change
Author: Dave Reay
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2010-08-12
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1136541527

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is estimated to be responsible for approximately one-fifth of man-made global warming. Per kilogram, it is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time horizon -- and global warming is likely to enhance methane release from a number of sources. Current natural and man-made sources include many where methane-producing micro-organisms can thrive in anaerobic conditions, particularly ruminant livestock, rice cultivation, landfill, wastewater, wetlands and marine sediments. This timely and authoritative book provides the only comprehensive and balanced overview of our current knowledge of sources of methane and how these might be controlled to limit future climate change. It describes how methane is derived from the anaerobic metabolism of micro-organisms, whether in wetlands or rice fields, manure, landfill or wastewater, or the digestive systems of cattle and other ruminant animals. It highlights how sources of methane might themselves be affected by climate change. It is shown how numerous point sources of methane have the potential to be more easily addressed than sources of carbon dioxide and therefore contribute significantly to climate change mitigation in the 21st century.

Sustainable Animal Agriculture

Sustainable Animal Agriculture
Author: Ermias Kebreab
Publisher: CABI
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2013-12-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1780640420

In order to meet increasing global demand for meat and animal by-products increasingly intensive animal production is necessary. Creating a sustainable system in animal agriculture that works in different production environments is a major challenge for animal scientists. This book draws together themes on sustainability that have emerged as the most pressing in recent years. Addressing practical topics such as air quality, manure management, animal feeds, production efficiency, environmental sustainability, biotechnology issues, animal welfare concerns, societal impacts and an analysis of the data used to assess the economic sustainability of farms.

Livestock's Long Shadow

Livestock's Long Shadow
Author: Henning Steinfeld
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2006
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789251055717

"The assessment builds on the work of the Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) Initiative"--Pref.

Slime

Slime
Author: Ruth Kassinger
Publisher: Mariner Books
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2019
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 0544432932

"No organisms are more important to life as we know it than algae. In Slime, Ruth Kassinger gives this under-appreciated group its due." --Elizabeth Kolbert Say "algae" and most people think of pond scum. What they don't know is that without algae, none of us would exist. There are as many algae on Earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for eons. Algae created the Earth we know today, with its oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans, and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are the ancestors of all plants. Today, seaweed production is a multi-billion dollar industry, with algae hard at work to make your sushi, chocolate milk, beer, paint, toothpaste, shampoo and so much more. In Slime we'll meet the algae innovators working toward a sustainable future: from seaweed farmers in South Korea, to scientists using it to clean the dead zones in our waterways, to the entrepreneurs fighting to bring algae fuel and plastics to market. With a multitude of lively, surprising science and history, Ruth Kassinger takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour. Whether you thought algae was just the gunk in your fish tank or you eat seaweed with your oatmeal, Slime will delight and amaze with its stories of the good, the bad, and the up-and-coming.

The 100% Solution

The 100% Solution
Author: Solomon Goldstein-Rose
Publisher: Melville House
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1612198384

"At last--a global plan that actually adds up."--James Hansen, former director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies The world must reach negative greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Yet no single plan has addressed the full scope of the problem--until now. In The 100% Solution, Solomon Goldstein-Rose--a leading millennial climate activist and a former Massachusetts state representative--makes clear what needs to happen to hit the 2050 target: the manufacturing booms we must spur, the moonshot projects we must fund, the amount of CO2 we'll have to sequester from the atmosphere, and much more. Most importantly, he shows us the more prosperous and equitable world we can build by uniting the efforts of activists, industries, governments, scientists, and voters to get the job done. This is the guide we've been waiting for. As calls for a WWII-scale mobilization intensify--especially among youth activists--this fully illustrated, action-oriented book arms us with specific demands, sets the stakes for what our leaders must achieve, and proves that with this level of comprehensive thinking we can still take back our future.

Climate-Smart Food

Climate-Smart Food
Author: Dave Reay
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2019-07-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 3030182061

This open access book asks just how climate-smart our food really is. It follows an average day's worth of food and drink to see where it comes from, how far it travels, and the carbon price we all pay for it. From our breakfast tea and toast, through breaktime chocolate bar, to take-away supper, Dave Reay explores the weather extremes the world’s farmers are already dealing with, and what new threats climate change will bring. Readers will encounter heat waves and hurricanes, wildfires and deadly toxins, as well as some truly climate-smart solutions. In every case there are responses that could cut emissions while boosting resilience and livelihoods. Ultimately we are all in this together, our decisions on what food we buy and how we consume it send life-changing ripples right through the global web that is our food supply. As we face a future of 10 billion mouths to feed in a rapidly changing climate, it’s time to get to know our farmers and herders, our vintners and fisherfolk, a whole lot better.

Drawdown

Drawdown
Author: Paul Hawken
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2017-04-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1524704652

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

Eat Like a Fish

Eat Like a Fish
Author: Bren Smith
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2019-05-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0451494555

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER IACP Cookbook Award finalist In the face of apocalyptic climate change, a former fisherman shares a bold and hopeful new vision for saving the planet: farming the ocean. Here Bren Smith—pioneer of regenerative ocean agriculture—introduces the world to a groundbreaking solution to the global climate crisis. A genre-defining “climate memoir,” Eat Like a Fish interweaves Smith’s own life—from sailing the high seas aboard commercial fishing trawlers to developing new forms of ocean farming to surfing the frontiers of the food movement—with actionable food policy and practical advice on ocean farming. Written with the humor and swagger of a fisherman telling a late-night tale, it is a powerful story of environmental renewal, and a must-read guide to saving our oceans, feeding the world, and—by creating new jobs up and down the coasts—putting working class Americans back to work.