The process of ‘global warming’ is collectively contributed by various human-centric activities, mainly those which involve the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) which cause the ‘greenhouse effect.’
Although global warming was a factor behind the origin of life on earth, which trapped the sunlight (heat) by the atmospheric gases in primitive earth, this causes deleterious effects beyond the threshold.
Ever since the inception of human civilization ‘wood burning’ was the only chief source of GHGs, but post-industrial revolution in1800s the emissions spiked up due to the consumption of fossil fuels mainly for industries (power sector) and transport.
Greenhouse gasses emitted from agriculture
The emissions in the agricultural sector have increased by 10% from 2008 to 2014.
Bottom line -> the amount of methane released each year by livestock.
Top line -> the amount of methane arising from the entire process of livestock rearing.
The ever-increasing need for food proportional to population has forced the agricultural process to get industrialized, thus making it the third largest source of GHGs at present.
Even though “industries (power sector)” are the main source of GHGs are industries, any alterations to moderate this sector has an inadvertent delay to receive the outcome, but the agriculture and food sector is relatively convenient.
Solution
Climate Smart Agriculture
Emissions from land
Methane:- methane is generated due to the decomposition of organic matters beneath the soil, and the plants eventually absorb it while they germinate, which in turn are consumed by the cattle and other animals, this can be reduced by:-
- The methane-feeding bacteria (Methanotrophic bacteria) are very effective in converting methane into usable fuel.
Researchers from North Western University – Evanston found that the bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year.
Emission from cattle
Methane:- Methane emitted from cattle can be reduced/collected and converted:-
- The addition of 3-Nitrooxypropanol to the feed of dairy cows reduced their enteric methane emissions by about 25%.
- Reducing dairy size significantly reduces methane emissions.
- Methane bags are used to trap methane and convert them to Carbon dioxide, and later convert them to Carbon fuel.
Emission due to stubble burning
Methane and Carbon dioxide:- The best practice followed in India is to incentives farmers to reap the stubble and sell it as a fuel to industries,
or, spraying of PUSA decomposer developed by ICAR-Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), will facilitate the decomposed stubble as natural manure and thus reduced the need of fertilizers up to 50 kg/acre.
Emission due to power machines in agriculture
Promoting the use of renewable energy helps the farmers to reduce fuel/power costs, and also reduces emissions.
Long-term agricultural strategy: Relocation of agricultural land
At present most of the agricultural fields across the world are located in eco-fragile areas causing a huge environmental footprint. However, these locations are outdated and were preferred by primitive civilizations for their livelihood convenience like proximity and safety to human settlements.
The relocated agricultural map is around the corn belt in the mid-western US, and below the Sahara Desert.
This relocation reduces agri-based carbon emission by 71% and also allows the land to restore greenery, this greenery can act as a carbon sink, and enable more carbon to be captured by the soil than when crops are grown in it.
It also reduces the harmful impact on global biodiversity by 87%. And significantly reduce the extinction risk for many species.
Healthy food style
Non-vegetarian consumers are found to emit 100 – 102% more GHGs compared to vegetarians and parallelly meat industry consumes more water compared to the agricultural crop.
Example:- 1 kg of beef cultivation needs around 15,415 liters of water, while 1 kg of green gram needs less than 1,000 liters of water, on the nutrition scale the beef just has 6% protein more than the green grams of same quantity which can be met by increasing the quantity of intake.
In terms of carbohydrates, Rice cultivation is water-intensive (4,000 – 5,000 liters per kg) and also in terms of emission, under the anaerobic condition of submerged soils of flooded rice fields, methane is produced and much of it escapes from the soil into the atmosphere.
The relative contribution of the different activities related to agriculture, including livestock; Image Source – Pro Terra Foundation
Suggestion to customers
By purchasing products with an organic label, those with a green circle on a white square customers can also contribute to green industries.
Long-term agricultural strategy: Using algae as an alternative
Owing to the shortage of land planting more trees might seem challenging, while the Amazon forest contributes to it significantly. The ocean life like algae, vegetation and corals equally absorbed 34 gigatons of the global carbon.
In this matter, algae are easy to cultivate at the domestic level:-
Algae as food
Rebecca White one of the leading business personalities in this domain runs algae farms in Texas and New Mexico. The objective is to promote algae as an alternative food. Population projections show that we will need a 70% increase in food supply by 2050 to feed the planet, and a recent United Nations report warns of a looming food crisis.
Algae as fuel
Algae also produce biofuels. Experiments have revealed that algae can produce as much as 5,000 biofuel gallons from a single acre in one year.
Read More –
- Relocating farmland to cut carbon emissions amid warming world: The Harvard Gazette.
- The water footprint of our diet and ways to reduce it.
- Reducing farm greenhouse gas emissions may plant the seed for a cooler planet.
- How consumers could drive more farmers to fight climate change.
- How French agriculture can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Methane-eating bacteria convert greenhouse gas to fuel.
- Algae might be a secret weapon to combat climate change.
- Sustainable farming in Brazil to combat climate change.
- 10 Ways Farmers Can Fight Climate Change: Foodwise.
- India’s carbon emission rises as it commits to combating climate change.
- Climate Change invites billionaire Yvon Chouinard(83) to donate his company to the cause.
- Climate Change: 56% Of People Worldwide Believe They Have Been Drastically Affected.
