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But to a large extent the CO2 burped by cows comes from the sequestered carbon from deep underground in the form of fertilisers used to grow the food we feed to
by doikor 5y ago
But to a large extent the CO2 burped by cows comes from the sequestered carbon from deep underground in the form of fertilisers used to grow the food we feed to the cows.
- leoedin 5y agoI wonder what proportion of the carbon in a plant comes from fertilisers vs CO2 taken in while growing? It looks like some fertilisers do contain carbon - but not all. Eg ammonium nitrate doesn't, urea does. The ammonia tends to be produced using methane - so right now the fertiliser production process does produce vast amounts of CO2 (but that isn't carbon which goes anywhere near the cow). The CO2 from ammonia production seems solvable (assuming an abundant supply of non-fossil fuel energy) through the electrolysed hydrogen -> ammonia route. Would that be enough, or is the carbon locked up in minerals used in phosphate production also a major source of CO2?
- doikor 5y agoWhile ammonium nitrate itself does not contain any CO2 producing it does release it as our energy system is not carbon free (yet). https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/The-carbon-footprint-of-fertilizer-production_Regional-reference-values.pdf https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01... Also you need to transport the fertiliser from the factory to the fields (diesel trucks) and spread it on the fields (diesel tractors)