Are cows contributing to climate change?

How much do cattle emissions contribute to climate change? The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates the livestock sector as a whole contributes 14.5 percent of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions – beef and milk production make up the majority of this. read more

On the surface, clearly cows contribute something to climate change - bovine flatulence produces methane which is a green house gas and thus cows should play at least some part in global warming. A better question however, are today's cow populations producing a net increase in green house gases (methane) when compared to populations of other large herbivores that domesticated cattle have replaced. read more