If you own cows or are thinking about getting some, you may be wondering what their impact is on the environment. Most likely, you have probably heard people talk about how cows cause greenhouse gases and therefore help speed up global warming. In this article we are going to cover exactly how cows cause greenhouse gases, and how they affect global warming.

Why do cows cause greenhouse gases?

Cows cause greenhouse gases primarily through two different ways, by burping and pooping. When a cow does one of these two things, they release the greenhouse gas Methane. Methane is one of the 4 main greenhouse gases, and contributes to about 10% of all greenhouse gases. Now you may be wondering, how much methane is a result of cows?

How much methane do cow’s release every year?

On average, a single cow releases around 90 kg of methane every year. It is estimated that there are 1.6 Billion cows on earth. This means that all together, cows release around 144 Billion kilograms of methane each year. This accounts to around 38% of all man-made methane released into the atmosphere each year.

Are cows bad for the environment?

While cows certainly contribute to the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, they do not have a negative effect on the environment. This is because cow’s are a part of the natural carbon cycle. The only reason they emit methane in the first place is because they eat plants. Plants consume carbon dioxide from the air, so this carbon dioxide is then consumed by the cows. It forms into methane in the cows body and is then let out into the air. The reason that cows are not bad for the environment is because they actually are not creating any new greenhouse gases. They are only consuming one (carbon dioxide), and converting it into another one (methane).