ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Written by EWG staff.
DONATE TO EWG!
Help us protect your health and environment! Please donate $5 to EWG today.
GET EWG'S TIPS & ACTION ALERTS
Sign Up here to receive email updates and tips from EWG and stay informed on the issues that matter most to you.
ENVIROBLOG VIA EMAIL
GAO Flunks Some States on Tap Water Quality Monitoring
GAO Knocks EPA Tap Water Monitoring
Reusing Your Gray Water: State Laws Vary for Homeowners
GAO to EPA: Improve Implementation of Safe Drinking Water Act
SEARCH ENVIROBLOG
FEATURED
Toxins in our Kids' Foods: Where is the FDA?
Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle?
Fluoride in Your Water: How much is too much?
Borax: Not the Green Alternative It's Cracked Up to Be
Test Your Knowledge of Cosmetics Safety: 8 Myths Debunked
EWG's Tips to avoid BPA exposure
EWG on TV
Cutting the Pork from U.S. Farm Bill
Sunscreen safety & DC drinking water
Perchlorate in people, kids' personal care products & plastics, and sunscreen
BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics
What can I do about fluoride in my water?
What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
PEOPLE TALKING TOXICS
TALK TO US
Did we miss something? Email Enviroblog.
« Call 911-SMOG | Main | Banned pesticide still used in head lice treatment »
So what’s the beef with climate?
Carbon is the primary culprit, contributing 70 percent of global greenhouse gases. But let’s not forget that ever-so-sly methane molecule (CH4) that boasts 21 times more global warming potential per ton than carbon, and is responsible for 23 percent of the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
Look no further than your Big Mac or your bowl of Rice Krispies to find some of the major sources of human induced methane pollution.
An average cow emits 6 percent of its energy in the form of methane gas—otherwise known as flatulence. All of the fart jokes in the world won’t change the fact that livestock produce more than a third of global methane emissions. In addition to CH4 pollution, beef production has led to deforestation in Central and South America for agricultural expansion, largely to feed the United States’ meaty appetite. This exacerbates cattle’s warming effects by slashing some of our biggest carbon sinks.
But before you get too excited about your vegan rice burgers, consider this: rice also emits a significant amount of methane, thanks to bacteria that live in waterlogged, anaerobic paddies. The little buggers decompose fertilizer and volatilize CH4.
What’s more is that the US government currently subsidizes many of the industries most responsible for agricultural methane. US rice received $10.5 billion in government subsidies between 1995 and 2005. Three of the primary livestock feed crops—corn, wheat, and soy—also receive massive subsidies.