Environmental+Impact+of+Cattle

A report submitted to the United Nations by the Farming and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2006, states that cattle farming contributes to 18% of green house gases. To give you insight into this figure, 18% is greater than the contribution of transportation to green house gases.Livestock farming is also a major source of land and water degradation.

According to the report published by the United Nations and FAO, livestock farming is one of today's most serious environmental problems. And due to the projected increase in dairy and meat consumption, this environmental problem, is predicted to only get worse in its impact on the environment. Take for example feedlots, as seen above, are one the primary concerns when it comes to water and land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.

How exactly do cattle contribute to green house gas emissions? Well, within the digestive system of cattle a anaerobic process takes place that produces methane gas. This methane gas is then emitted eructation or burping. Therefore, it is easy to see that cattle when gathered in larger population such as in feedlots, cause great green house gas emission just through population mass.

In terms of water and land degradation, the livestock business is among the most damanging sectors. This is because animal wastes, anitobiotics, fertilizers and pertisicides (used to spray feed crops) are a major pullutent agents. These agents cause distruption in normal growing cycles, and in some cases pollute below ground water sources. As cows are grazing animals, they contribute to land degradation through over grazing.

Further infomration, on this topic can be gather from the following links, [] []