New EPA Report: Animal Agriculture Leads U.S Methane Emissions

The report, released last week, confirms animal agriculture as the leading U.S. source of methane pollution, with manure and enteric fermentation responsible for a combined 34% of emissions. For comparison, natural gas and petroleum are responsible for 28%, landfills for 16% and coal mining for 6%.

Agricultural soil management accounts for 75% of nitrous oxide emissions and approximately 4.5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, largely because of the widespread use of fertilizers derived from industrial animal agriculture. Manure management contributes an additional 4% of U.S. nitrous oxide pollution.

The USDA has announced historic investments in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program over the past two years. This program is intended to improve the climate resilience of U.S. agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon. But rather than shifting that funding to true climate solutions that support small-scale and marginalized producers, the USDA has earmarked the billions of dollars for meat and dairy corporations to greenwash false solutions and continue on with business as usual.

Methane from manure management rose 1% and nitrous oxide from soil management rose 2.4% from the previous year, the new EPA report found. Methane is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, making it a critical part of reducing emissions in time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Nitrous oxide stays in the atmosphere longer and is 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 100 years.

In January the Center and more than 250 other organizations and experts sent a letter urging the USDA to immediately make meat and dairy reduction a key part of its climate strategy, align food and climate goals in all USDA programs, and integrate sustainability into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Research shows that sustainable dietary shifts play a key role in fighting climate change in high-consuming nations like the United States. Changes to food production alone are not enough. Immediately cutting 90% of U.S. beef consumption and replacing half the consumption of other meats with plant-based foods could save as much as 2 billion tons of greenhouse gases from being released by 2030.