Animal Agriculture Responsible for More Pollution Than Cars

According to a recent report issued by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the burps and methane-rich flatulence of cows spew 18 percent more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transportation. Of the four identified greenhouse gases—CO2, nitrous oxide, methane, and fluorinated gases—three are directly connected to the animal agriculture industry. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “domestic livestock such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels produce large amounts of CH4 as part of their normal digestive process … Globally, the agriculture sector is the primary source of CH4 (methane) emissions.”