Deep Dive: Agricultural Emissions
This article was written by a guest contributor, Alex Schultz. Read about Alex here.
Climate change (or global warming), refers to the warming of the lower atmosphere surrounding earth due to a greenhouse effect of certain, mainly anthropogenic, emissions. Particular molecules (referred to as greenhouse gases) allow solar radiation to pass through to the earth but trap the heat radiated back, much like a greenhouse traps warmth from the sun, even in the cold of winter. It is imperative that global greenhouse gas emissions are mitigated, as warming the planet by 2oC will have catastrophic effects, including rising sea levels and an increased frequency of extreme weather events. The IPCC predicts that the earth will reach that point in the next 30 years if emissions continue as they are now.
As populations increase and more food is needed worldwide, the ways that climate change and agriculture affect each other must be understood and considered in agricultural policy development. Agriculture is responsible for one quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. These are all potent greenhouse gases: nitrous oxide is 298 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2, while methane is 25 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2.
The following images walk through several sources of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, with the goal of understanding the role agriculture has in climate change. Understanding emissions sources can help inform responsible consumer choices – remember, nobody is perfect, there is no way to exist without contributing to emissions, but we can all work to mitigate our contribution. Start small, using this knowledge to make one choice at a time!
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