Methane

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses involved in climate change. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, methane has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. As seen in the chart to the right, ruminants, which include cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo, are the second largest source of methane globally.

Ruminants undergo enteric fermentation as part of their digestive process. Cow belches and flatulence release methane into the atmosphere as a byproduct of enteric fermentation. A single cow produces 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas per year.

“Yes, cows emit methane. But the way sustainable ranching works is when you’re managing the cows to create a healthy landscape, the goal is also to be absorbing some of that methane, so it balances,” said Julie Morris.

Joe and Julie Morris are the owners of Morris Grassfed Beef, a ranch on the central coast of California dedicated to sustainability.

“Methane is not the problem. The methane can be a problem if it isn’t cycling or comes from a different source than the biological community,” Joe Morris said. 

Historically, methane sinks and sources were balanced, so the methane cycled in a healthy pattern. Humans have created more methane sources, such as landfills, and destroyed methane sinks by neglecting the habitats of methanotrophs, microscopic methane-eating bacteria that live in healthy grasslands soil. 

This has created an imbalance in the methane cycle, leading to methane getting trapped in the atmosphere.

Some ranchers have recognized the importance of their ranches in the methane cycle and are working to improve the strength of their ecosystems to benefit the methane cycle and the planet as a whole through innovative cattle and land management.