Methane emissions from Australian livestock: implications of the Kyoto Protocol

1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Howden ◽  
P. J. Reyenga
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Emission Trading ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Livestock Emissions

Human activities have increased the atmospheric concentration of methane by about 140% since pre-industrial times. The accumulation of methane and other ‘greenhouse’ gases is anticipated to cause significant climate changes in the future. Ruminant livestock are the largest producers of methane in Australia and this source constitutes about 12% of the national net emissions. Australia is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, which, if it comes into force, requires limiting annual emissions during the period 2008–2012 to 8% over the 1990 value. Australian livestock emissions are projected to increase by 7% by 2010 with total Australian emissions expected to increase by 28–43%. Emissions per unit GDP are higher for the livestock sector than for most other sectors and this may negatively affect the sector if free market emission trading is implemented and no new technologies to reduce emissions cost-effectively are introduced. Using information from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, we demonstrate that reductions in emissions per unit product are already occurring in at least one Australian livestock industry and discuss ways to ensure that similar future changes will be recorded. Cautionary notes are made regarding options of grain feeding and more intensive production, which appear to be attractive but may lead to increasing emissions when viewed on a broader basis. The potential for increased animal production with new technologies developed to reduce methane emissions suggests that there may be significant opportunities for the Australian livestock industries arising from the issue of greenhouse gas reductions. Opportunities to establish carbon sinks are also discussed. We suggest that addressing reduction of emissions per hectare rather than per head or per kilo of product results in a strong alignment with the development of more sustainable livestock industries.

Technologies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Fossil Fuels

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Audus ◽  
Paul Freund
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
And Storage

In recent years, the possibility of climate change has begun to be considered seriously. Options available today can help reduce emissions at relatively little overall cost but may be able to achieve only moderate reductions. If it becomes necessary to reduce emissions further, it is likely there will be opportunities for new technologies as well as making greater use of existing ones. Bearing in mind the time required to develop and deploy new energy supply technologies on a large-scale, it is only sensible to adopt a precautionary stance. This requires better understanding of the potential of technologies not yet in widespread use and stimulation of the development and deployment of promising ones. The EEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme is working to improve understanding of technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. This is an example of effective co-operative action between different countries and industries. Membership is worldwide; through this work, members are able to learn about new technologies and share experiences. This paper reviews the work of the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. The established options for reducing emissions include improving energy efficiency, substitution of lower-carbon fuels for high-carbon fuels, and introduction of alternative energy sources. If deep reductions in emissions are required, discussion tends to focus on alternatives to fossil fuels even though the latter provide a very large proportion of the energy used today. To avoid disruptive changes, the world will need to be able to continue using fossil fuels but in a climate-friendly way. Capture and storage of carbon dioxide could deliver deep reductions in emissions from fossil fuels but the technology is still in its infancy — this is the subject of on-going work by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. Enhancement of natural sinks, such as forests, could also help by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Use of biomass for power generation has also been examined to see how it compares as a large-scale mitigation option compared with capture and storage. Methane is another important greenhouse gas, produced by many human activities. Technology can help reduce emissions of methane; examples of some of these technologies will be described. The mechanism of Activities Implemented Jointly is potentially important for application of all of these options and the Greenhouse Gas Programme is working to improving understanding about viable options and methods of delivering successful projects.

scholarly journals Practical strategies to mitigate ruminant greenhouse gas emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Ortega ◽  
Mark Tester ◽  
Kyle Lauersen
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Pragmatic Strategies

Abstract Livestock contributes to 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with ruminants being the largest contributor through enteric methane emissions. Although several mitigation strategies are available to reduce livestock methane, no consensus exists on which methods are the most effective. Here, the mitigation impact of the most pragmatic strategies to reduce enteric methane has been projected to 2050, using cattle emissions as a model. The projection shows that supplementing ruminant feed with anti-methanogenic seaweed and converting grassland into silvopasture offer the greatest potential to reduce emissions. With a synergic combination of strategies, the livestock sector in Europe and most of Asia can reach carbon neutrality by 2035 and 2038, respectively. However, global cattle CO2-eq emissions will be reduced by no more than 34 percent by 2050, remaining far above the carbon neutrality target. Mitigation strategies alone are insufficient to lower emissions, and reducing the demand for ruminant products is also necessary – particularly in Africa and Western Asia.

Senkenanrechnung gemäss Kyoto-Protokoll: Perspektiven für die Waldwirtschaft | Taking carbon sinks into account according to the Kyoto Protocol: a prospect for the forest sector

2008 ◽  
Vol 159 (9) ◽  
pp. 296-302
Author(s):  
Richard Volz
Keyword(s):  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Emissions Trading ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Carbon Sinks ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Trading Market ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Emission Reduction Target ◽  
Actual Target

The Kyoto Protocol makes provisions for carbon sinks from forest management to be taken into account as a contribution towards fulfilling a country's emission reduction target. Additional emission allowances are allocated for these forest carbon sinks. If Switzerland uses this extra contingent of allowances to the full it would then only have to reduce emissions by 4.5% instead of the actual target of 8%. Emission allowances from carbon sinks can be traded on the emissions trading market and be claimed by forest owners. An assessment of the income that could be anticipated was carried out in four forestry companies: with the CO2 price set at 10 CHF per ton it was seen that a potential revenue of between 6 and 71 CHF per hectare and year could be realised. However, the legal basis for allocating emission allowances from carbon sinks to forest owners has yet to be created. In view of the fact that the two chambers of Parliament refused the introduction of the Forests Act Revision Bill, it is not clear if and in what form this will be done. For the period after 2012, the rules will be renegotiated at the international level and it is expected that the carbon stored in harvested wood products will be taken into account. Accordingly, wood removed from the forest would no longer be automatically counted as a CO2 source in the emission balance.

Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from 10 biogas plants within the agricultural sector

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1370-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liebetrau ◽  
T. Reinelt ◽  
J. Clemens ◽  
C. Hafermann ◽  
J. Friehe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Life Cycle Assessments ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Generation Unit

With the increasing number of biogas plants in Germany the necessity for an exact determination of the actual effect on the greenhouse gas emissions related to the energy production gains importance. Hitherto the life cycle assessments have been based on estimations of emissions of biogas plants. The lack of actual emission evaluations has been addressed within a project from which the selected results are presented here. The data presented here have been obtained during a survey in which 10 biogas plants were analysed within two measurement periods each. As the major methane emission sources the open storage of digestates ranging from 0.22 to 11.2% of the methane utilized and the exhaust of the co-generation units ranging from 0.40 to 3.28% have been identified. Relevant ammonia emissions have been detected from the open digestate storage. The main source of nitrous oxide emissions was the co-generation unit. Regarding the potential of measures to reduce emissions it is highly recommended to focus on the digestate storage and the exhaust of the co-generation.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas emissions profiles of neighbourhoods in Durban, South Africa – an initial investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryl Jagarnath ◽  
Tirusha Thambiran
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Emissions Inventory ◽  
High Emission ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
The City

Because current emissions accounting approaches focus on an entire city, cities are often considered to be large emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with no attention to the variation within them. This makes it more difficult to identify climate change mitigation strategies that can simultaneously reduce emissions and address place-specific development challenges. In response to this gap, a bottom-up emissions inventory study was undertaken to identify high emission zones and development goals for the Durban metropolitan area (eThekwini Municipality). The study is the first attempt at creating a spatially disaggregated emissions inventory for key sectors in Durban. The results indicate that particular groups and economic activities are responsible for more emissions, and socio-spatial development and emission inequalities are found both within the city and within the high emission zone. This is valuable information for the municipality in tailoring mitigation efforts to reduce emissions and address development gaps for low-carbon spatial planning whilst contributing to objectives for social justice.

scholarly journals Diversity of methanogens in ruminants in Queensland

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 722 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Ouwerkerk ◽  
A. F. Turner ◽  
A. V. Klieve
Keyword(s):  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Methanogen Community ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock represent a loss of carbon during feed conversion, which has implications for both animal productivity and the environment because this gas is considered to be one of the more potent forms of greenhouses gases contributing to global warming. Many strategies to reduce emissions are targeting the methanogens that inhabit the rumen, but such an approach can only be successful if it targets all the major groups of ruminant methanogens. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the diversity of these microbes in different breeds of cattle and sheep, as well as in response to different diets, is required. A study was undertaken using the molecular techniques denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DNA cloning and DNA sequence analysis to define the extent of diversity among methanogens in ruminants, particularly Bos indicus cross cattle, on differing forages in Queensland. It was found that the diversity of methanogens in forage-fed cattle in Queensland was greater than in grain-fed cattle but there was little variability in methanogen community composition between cattle fed different forages. The species that dominate the rumen microbial communities of B. indicus cross cattle are from the genus Methanobrevibacter, although rumen-fluid inoculated digestors fed Leucaena leucocephala leaf were populated with Methanosphaera-like strains, with the Methanobrevibacter-like strains displaced. If ruminant methane emissions are to be reduced, then antimethanogen bioactives that target both broad groups of ruminant methanogens are most likely to be needed, and as a part of an integrated suite of approaches that redirect rumen fermentation towards other more useful end products.

scholarly journals Estimating the supply of oilseed acreage for sustainable aviation fuel production: taking account of farmers’ willingness to adopt

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Conner J. McCollum ◽  
Steven M. Ramsey ◽  
Jason S. Bergtold ◽  
Graciela Andrango
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Aviation Fuel ◽  
Fuel Production ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Willingness To Adopt ◽  
Reduce Emissions

Abstract Background Continued progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require efforts across many industries. Though aviation is estimated to account for modest portions of global greenhouse gas emissions, these shares may grow as the industry expands. The use of biomass- and crop-based sustainable aviation fuels can help reduce emissions in the industry. However, limited feedstock supplies are a barrier to increased use of these fuels. This study examines the potential supply of feedstock from oilseeds and farmer willingness to produce oilseed crops under contract for sustainable aviation fuel production with a focus on canola and similar oilseed feedstocks (e.g., rapeseed). Stated-choice survey data is used to examine the contract and crop features that drive contract acceptance in six states located in the U.S. Great Plains and Pacific Northwest and then acreage supply curves are estimated for canola using secondary data. Main findings The estimated number of acres supplied under contract varies considerably across states and scenarios. Relatedly, estimated supply curves exhibit high degrees of price responsiveness. Of the states analyzed, oilseed acreages supplied under contract are generally found to be greatest in Kansas and North Dakota. Conclusions Results suggest that in the absence of favorable contract and crop scenarios canola and other oilseed prices will need to considerably increase from typical levels to induce higher levels of supplied acres. The presence of crop insurance, shorter contract lengths that provide cost sharing and the availability of particular crop attributes are shown to diminish the need for higher canola and other oilseed prices.

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