4 ms·
Surely the methane they produce far outweighs any carbon sink benefits
by tedk-42 4y ago
Surely the methane they produce far outweighs any carbon sink benefits
- jazzyjackson 4y agoI'm not an expert, but my sense of the carbon sink is that the more soil there is the better, and grazing cows eating grass and leaving manure behind is building soil and encouraging plant growth. The carbon released by the cows "emissions" is part of a carbon cycle, first captured by the grass and then released by bacteria in the cow's gut. The more grass, the more cows, the more carbon is hanging out somewhere other than the atmosphere.
- guerby 4y agoBefore this: https://theconversation.com/historical-photo-of-mountain-of-bison-skulls-documents-animals-on-the-brink-of-extinction-148780 https://theconversation.com/historical-photo-of-mountain-of-... There were a lot of bisons in the americas, estimated 60 millions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bison "With a population in excess of 60 million in the late 18th century, the species was down to just 541 animals by 1889." https://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2022/01-31-2022.php https://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2022/01-31-2022.php "There were 91.9 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2022"