At every stage, food provisioning releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Farming in particular releases significant amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, two powerful greenhouse gases.
Jun 30, 2015
How much does agriculture contribute to global warming?
Emissions and Trends In 2020, greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture economic sector accounted for 11% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have increased by 6% since 1990.
Is agriculture the leading cause of global warming?
The Problem A new report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which examines how land use changes have contributed to the warming of Earth’s atmosphere, has concluded that agriculture and forestry have contributed nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
How is agriculture bad for the environment?
Agriculture is the leading source of pollution in many countries. Pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic farm chemicals can poison fresh water, marine ecosystems, air and soil. They also can remain in the environment for generations.
How does agriculture cause greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide is emitted by farm equipment moving across the farm’s fields during tilling, planting, the application of pesticides and fertilizers and harvest. The more passes across the farm field, the more carbon that is emitted.
Introduction
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Agriculture is the growing of plants (crops) and animals (livestock) for food and other purposes. In 2007, lands used for crop growing and animal grazing took up 40–50% of Earth’s land surface, a 10% increase since 1961. Agriculture contributes to global climate change by releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), the t…
Historical Background and Scientific Foundations
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For most of the human race’s existence, it did not practice agriculture. For many hundreds of thousands of years, humans and their near-human ancestors practiced various forms of hunting and gathering, finding edible plants and animals in the environment rather than raising them. The first known tools, made about 2.5 million years ago, were food processors, chipped stones devis…
Impacts and Issues
- Is Meat the Number One Cause of Global Warming?
In 2007, vegan and animal-rights organizations ran ads in the U.S. media stating that emissions from meat-raising contribute more to global warmingthan cars do. For example, an ad by the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) read: “Too Chicken to Go Vegetarian? … - Mitigation of Agricultural Emissions
Altered agricultural practices can reduce agriculture’s contribution to global warming. More efficient delivery of nitrogen to crops would reduce N2O emissions and other ecological harms; livestock management for more efficient digestion of feeds would save money and reduce CH4…
Primary Source Connection
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Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are major greenhouse gases. Agriculture is a common, and often overlooked, contributor of methane and nitrous oxide. Both methane and nitrous oxide are produced naturally by livestock and soil management. Some human-controlled agricultural management techniques, however, increase methane and nitrous oxide production. This article …
Bibliography
- Books
Parry, M. L., et al, eds. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. New York: Cambridge UniversityPress, 2007. - Periodicals
Asner, Gregory P. “Grazing Systems, Ecosystem Responses, and Global Change.” Annual Review of Environment and Resources29 (2004): 261–299. Deutsch, Claudia H. “Trying to Connect the Dinner Plate to Climate Change.” The New York Times(August 29, 2007). Izaurralde, R. César, et …