Cows are Bad for the Environment, But Now Fires Are Harming Cows: What’s Going On?

The extreme drought affecting two-thirds of western America will have a major impact on the cattle industry, agriculture and farmers and ranchers. Smoke from wildfires is making the air even hotter, and due to the drought, cattle may not have enough water, grain and grass. According to National Geographic, ranchers will have to sell their cattle if they aren’t able to keep them fed and hydrated as the extreme drought and wildfires continue. 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 655 million acres of land are used for pasture in America. The way we breed cattle has a huge impact on climate change. Factory farming damages the environment; cattle need to be grazed far more if we want to make an impact on climate change. 

Is Factory Farming the Main Culprit? 

Greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and the way cows are bred have a significant impact on climate change. 

According to Ending Factory Farming, “livestock farming produces 37% and 65% of our global methane and nitrous oxide emission respectively. Both gases are much more potent than carbon dioxide.” Cows naturally emit methane gas, a greenhouse gas, when they burp. Methane has a massive effect on the planet; it is “28 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over 100 years.” 

Factory farming has a far more negative impact on climate change than cattle grazing. Cows raised on factory farms are often given antibiotics to make them grow faster. According to researchers, this causes methane emissions to be “80% higher than those from the manure of untreated cattle.” The antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria and instead produce more methane than cows normally would.

One study showed that, “factory-farmed beef requires twice as much fossil fuel energy input as pasture-reared beef.” Factory farming’s “fast-growth” system produces much more pollution and uses “huge amounts of resources, such as water, grain, and oil.”

Factory farming is harming the planet through energy use such as, “heating, lighting, and ventilation.” Factory farming is also part of the growing problem of greenhouse gas emissions by polluting the air through regular gas emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),“methane can stay in the atmosphere for 12 years and nitrous oxide for 121 years.” According to NASA, “carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for 300 – 1,000 years.”

Factory farming and deforestation have long-lasting effects on the environment. Now climate change is affecting cattle grazing, and if we don’t make a change, cattle could be at risk. 

How is Climate Change Impacting Cattle Grazing?

Wildfires are destroying grazing land, and if the extreme fires continue, not only will farmers face ruined crops and agriculture, but the cattle industry will be at stake. Ryan Mahoney, a rancher in California, says farmers are suffering badly, “We are going to be the first ones impacted… you don’t have any feed to feed your cows, or a fire burns everything you have.” 

Cattle grazing is helpless against the current extreme climate change conditions. So what does the future of the cattle industry hold? Through an extensive study completed by USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Matt Reeves discovered four future predictions of the cattle industry: the amount of food available, plant life, hotter temperatures influencing cattle, and the amount of food available each year. The extreme hot temperatures could make a significant impact on cattle’s food — without food, the cattle won’t be able to survive. 

How is Cattle Grazing Beneficial for the Planet?

When cattle graze in pastures, they can actually contribute nutrients to the soil. 

Dr. Tara Garnett, who researches climate change at the University of Oxford, explains a process called carbon sequestration which takes place when cattle graze: “animals help with [carbon sequestration] by nibbling away and chomping away, which stimulates the plants to grow.” When plants grow, they trap carbon dioxide from the air and preserve it in the soil. 

According to Rebecca Phillips’ research, “a well-managed grazing system stores more carbon in the soil than grasslands that are not grazed.” 

One method of breeding cattle is called silvopasture, a specific method of raising cattle among trees and plants. Trees can extract carbon from the air while catching the methane gas cows release. Not only do they trap carbon dioxide and release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, but according to The National Agroforestry Center, “shade can both improve forage growth and provide shelter for grazing animals, which in turn can decrease heat stress and increase yields.”

Another method, “mob-grazing,” also benefits the environment. When cows graze in only one area the grass eventually becomes overgrazed. As a result, farmers use fertilizers to restore the grass and end up making matters worse because this ruins the soil. But when cattle are moved to graze on different parts of the land on different days they benefit the soil through carbon sequestration. This method of grazing helps grass grow stronger, while also storing up carbon – resulting in healthier pastures and plant life.

Grazing cattle is much more beneficial for the environment. Cows can help fight climate change. 

There is Hope for the Future

For so long our cattle industry impacted our climate, but now climate change is inevitably affecting the cattle industry. We can make a change by shifting factory farming to cattle grazing. Cattle can benefit our planet, restore plant life and forests to reduce carbon emissions, and grow healthier land. 

Instead of cutting down trees for farm animals, joining cattle with trees and plant life can have a much more positive impact on our environment. If we don’t change our cattle breeding methods, climate change could bring irreversible devastation. Restoring nature to its original purpose is the best action we can take to protect the vulnerability of our cattle industry against climate change.