methane emissions

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There are concerns that emissions from badly managed landfills could exacerbate climate change.

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(00:00) The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Climate Change

This chapter explores the Dunning-Kruger effect and its impact on public perception of climate science and anthropogenic climate change. We discuss how this cognitive bias can lead individuals to confidently express opinions on complex scientific matters without the necessary expertise. The effect also influences the assessment of scientific consensus and the evaluation of potential solutions and policies. We highlight the importance of fostering a nuanced and informed understanding of these critical issues. Specific areas where the Dunning-Kruger effect can shape public perception are examined, including the understanding of complex climate models and data interpretation, skepticism or denial of climate change, and hindering evidence-based decision-making. We aim to explore how this effect can shape our perceptions and behaviors, particularly in the context of critical global issues such as climate change.

(09:09) Dunning-Kruger Effect and Climate Awareness

This chapter explores the topic of methane emissions from thawing permafrost and how the Dunning-Kruger effect can influence public perception and policy decisions. We discuss how individuals with limited knowledge may overestimate their understanding, leading to misinformation and skepticism towards addressing methane emissions. We also highlight the multidisciplinary nature of climate science and the need for a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric science, biogeochemistry, and climate dynamics to effectively tackle this critical aspect of greenhouse gas emissions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of being open to learning and checking one's understanding before making bold statements on this heavily politicized issue.

(18:09) Feedback Loops and Climate Change Consensus

This chapter explores the importance of feedback loops in understanding climate change. We discuss the complexity of the climate system and the need for informed decision-making based on scientific consensus. Examples of feedback loops, such as the Ice Albedo Feedback and the Forest Climate Feedback, are provided to illustrate how they can amplify the effects of climate change. We also highlight the Dunning-Kruger effect and how it can lead to underestimation of the consensus among scientists on climate change. Emphasizing the value of relying on experts for accurate information, we provide everyday examples of feedback loops to help listeners better understand their presence in daily life.

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, July 2023 was actually the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. The heat wave caused hundreds of deaths, thousands of hospitalizations, and billions of dollars in damages. It also exacerbated droughts, wildfires, and power outages. 

The culprit behind this unprecedented heat is climate change, driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The most well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which comes from burning fossil fuels. Often overlooked is methane, which accounts for about 16 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and has more than doubled since pre-industrial times. 

Robert Stavins, PhD ’88, says that reducing the amount of methane in the atmosphere is a critical and cost-effective way to slow climate change and its impacts. To get there, the AJ Meyer professor of Energy and Economic Development at the Harvard Kennedy School is leading a new initiative at the University’s Salata Institute which aims to reduce methane emissions from different sectors using innovative approaches and collaborations. If successful, he says the world can “bend the curve” on climate change, giving humanity desperately needed time to address the larger, long-term problem of carbon dioxide.

Like it or not banks are a cornerstone of our economy, meaning they'll need to be a key influence in the push to decarbonise.

One of the ways BNZ is trying to do this is through membership of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).

Speaking in interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast Rebekah Cain, BNZ's Chief Sustainability Officer, describes the NZBA as "a group of banks committed to transition the finance sector to net-zero." Finance, she notes, is "a key lever to pull in order to shift the real economy."

"Part of the reason for this is because if something is funded it happens. And if it isn't funded it doesn't happen," Cain says.

The industry-led, United Nations convened NZBA has 133 bank members from 43 countries holding a combined US$74 trillion in total assets, which is estimated to be 41% of global banking assets. BNZ's the only New Zealand member, although the Aussie parents of all NZ's big four banks are members, as is the Dutch parent of rural lender Rabobank NZ.

BNZ's NZBA targets disclosureinitially features2030 targets for the coal mining, dairy farming, power generation and oil and gas sectors. For dairy, which contributes 23% of NZ's annual export earnings and 22% of its annual gross emissions, the target assumptions include reducing dairy cow numbers, lowering milk production, and less use of nitrogen fertiliser.

For BNZ Cain acknowledges there's both derisking going on and lending growth opportunities being eyed. In terms of the latter, in the power generation sector BNZ's assuming a 50% increase in electricity demand between 2020 and 2050.

"I think the focus needs to switch from what's being taken away to the opportunity that exists," she says.

NZBA criteria features 10 sectors banks needs to have targets for. That means by November next year BNZ must also have targets in place for other parts of the agriculture sector such as sheep and beef, and residential real estate where it has its biggest lending exposure.

The NZBA has been criticised with Germany's GLS Bank quitting in February over concerns about US bank members continuing to support oil, gas and coal projects in emerging markets. 

"Any of these initiatives are only valuable if they are interrogated and criticised. Otherwise it's really easy to sign-up, set and forget, not really report on it," Cain says.

Due to being part of the NZGA and NZ's new mandatory climate-related disclosure regime, Cain says BNZ's having internal conversations they were never having before.

"So that has got to be good."

Guests: Dr. Joe McFadden, Cornell University and Dr. Peri Rosenstein, Environmental Defense Fund

Joining together around the pub to discuss methane emission metrics are experts Dr. Joe McFadden and Dr. Peri Rosenstein. 

Dr. McFadden, an animal science professor at Cornell University, has focused much of his research and career on studying the interactions between nutrition, environment and animal food production. 

After discussing mitigating enteric methane emissions during the Real Science Lecture series, more than 600 people listened to the episode. In fact, Dr. McFadden’s research in defending the dairy industry has been highlighted in both The Hill and Time magazines. 

Dr. McFadden began the conversation by mentioning he ultimately believes a percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions is methane. He went on to mention that reducing methane emissions does enhance production, and the industry should be in favor of the shift. 9:04

While methane remains a major contributor to agricultural food production, livestock emissions from the glimpse of total greenhouse gas emissions remain relatively low, raising questions on where the focus of enteric methane mitigation should be. 

Progress is moving the needle from management, genetics, nutrition and enhanced efficiency. 

Dr. Rosenstein and Dr. McFadden’s research focuses on South Asia, specifically India, as there are nearly 75 million small dairy farmers and about 300 million buffalo. Dr. McFadden shared that while the country produces around 20% of total global dairy production, it is also the highest producer of methane. 15:30

Cattle are a source of national food security and are a way of life for many people, Dr. Rosenstein added, mentioning the goal is not to pivot completely but instead offer resources to optimize cattle productivity through nutrition, animal health and breeding. 20:22

In addition to the Environmental Defense Fund studies in South Asia, Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem, asked about any other current research taking place. 22:03

Just recently, Dr. McFadden said the plans and proposals for the additional construction at the Cornell University research facility were implemented. He added he believes the opportunity to pivot not only allows his team the position to test the next solutions that reduce enteric methane but to continue acquiring various green feeding units. 23:25

Dr. McFadden then shifted the conversation to highlight the importance in studying feed duration through green feed study trials. Whether three weeks or three months long, he mentioned they offer a greater understanding when analyzing lactation, supplementation or even replacement strategies. 28:21

When discussing strategies for enteric methane mitigation, Dr. Rosenstein mentioned they not only have to have proper feed additives but also be safe for both humans and animals alike. 32:31

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. McFadden summarized the urgency in being transparent on effective additives and encouraged feed manufacturing and feed additive companies to think about markets in new countries as an opportunity to collaborate and expand. 44:10

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Michel Wattiaux, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Co-Host: Dr. Jeff Elliott

Joining around the pub at World Dairy Expo to discuss the latest research about environmental factors and the effects it has on specific dairy cattle breeds are Dr. Bill Weiss and Dr. Michel Wattiaux. 

Dr. Michel Wattiaux, Dairy Systems Management Professor at the University of Wisconsin led the conversation by introducing the recent publication in the Journal of Dairy Science and authors M.E. Uddinn, O.I. Santana and K.A. Weigel. 2:28

What was the main reasoning behind the research and the treatments selected? Dr. Wattiaux said with help from the entire research team, they wanted to measure and compare methane emissions from two cattle breeds and evaluate the nutritional consequences between various fiber sources and concentrations. 3:55

He noted that another key motivation was an earlier research paper showing that jersey cows may in fact, be more environmentally friendly when compared to environmental impact per unit of cheese yield. 4:30

With breeds, forage levels and various forage sources at a focus, Dr. Wattiaux said they first looked to see if there was any interaction between variable fiber types, level of fiber on methane emissions, cow performance and digestibility. 5:30 

He said the research encompassed only first lactation cows, adding the various forage NDF and alfalfa silage corn NDF rations used. 6:45

Given methane is a major contributor to the carbon footprint, Dr. Wattiaux said they first measured and compared methane emissions between the holstein and jersey breeds and then evaluated the green feed system, its specifics and system measurements. 9:45

Dr. Bill Weiss, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University, asked about the production impact the two breeds had from the various diet treatment studies. 16:18

Dr. Wattiaux added there was no variability between the two breeds in terms of production differences. He added that the more cows consume, the more fermentation and, ultimately, the more methane produced. 18:45

But how can we know we are standardizing our comparison between the two breeds? Dr. Bill Weiss then asked that question. 20:10

Dr. Wattiaux mentioned the research paper showed methane emission as the only factor affecting the overall carbon footprint. He added that animal efficiency is ultimately not related to methane production per day but rather an energy law ideally used to make milk. 21:15

Additionally, he mentioned the study showed very little difference in manure composition between the two breeds as well. Emphasizing that media and consumers are focused on methane intensity and the carbon footprint, which ultimately is an extension of digestive system studies. 26:51

Dr. Jeff Elliott, podcast co-host and technical services representative for Balchem, asked how much the industry has improved feed production management in the last 10 years. 28:23

Dr. Wattiaux said when talking about production intensity, yield or even greenhouse gas emission there was a high level of variation. Adding when making an impact on reducing emissions, manure and crop management is just as important as the cow or environmental effects. 32:05

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Wattiaux mentioned despite the research showing differences between the jersey and holstein breeds; it emphasized the importance of a forage diet variability and nutritional options for all breeds and their environmental factors.t 42:14

Read the articles here: ​​https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32389470/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34955248/

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This week our evokeAG contributor, Ken Eastwood interviews two interesting characters from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, who have formed a partnership that’s benefiting both their businesses and the environment.

The first is Charlie Schmidt, head distiller at Kangaroo Island Spirits, who has overseen the rapid growth of the distillery – with a focus on making it more sustainable. The second is Elders stock agent Stuart Were, who has a small cattle operation on the island. He has begun feeding his cattle the waste malted barley from the distillery, preventing it from going to landfill. The cows are loving it, and it’s set to offer multiple benefits for the environment, including reducing methane emissions by livestock.

Elders are the Platinum Partner of evokeAG 2023 Down to Earth event – where we will explore how farming, tech, science, and people collectively have the power to bring innovative ideas to life.

Interested in attending evokeAG. 2023? Come and see the Elders team in Adelaide, South Australia on 21-22 February 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Tickets are now on sale at evokeag.com/events

We discuss the methane detection challenges operators are facing around the world and how newly enacted regulation is changing the decarbonisation landscape across industrial assets.   

How are operators managing methane emissions today?

How will newly enforced regulations affect operations?

What can operators do to overcome these challenges?

This episode is brought to you from our live podcast studio at ADIPEC 2022, where we are hosting live podcasts from the heart of the conference exhibition, travelling deep into the minds of industry experts and influencers to gain valuable insights and perspectives on challenging issues and the opportunities facing the energy sector.

The is episode two out of the 11-episode series.

This episode features: 
Brian Chalmers, Wood’s President, Growth & Development, in Houston, Texas.
Dan Carter, Wood’s Vice President, Decarbonisation & New Energies, in Reading, UK

 To connect with our guests and explore related insights, subscribe to The Wood Podcast at www.woodplc.com/podcast. 

Australia looks likely to join more than 100 countries around the world, including the EU, the US, and Indonesia pledge a 30 per cent global cut in methane emissions by 2030. The Opposition says it will ‘put an end to the BBQ’, and drive up prices, but will it be that bad? We talk to a beef farmer who is a member of Farmers for Climate Action. PLUS the Four Daughters beef sisters talk to Nicole Saunders, a young dairy farmer who, with her husband, went from starting out as share farmers to running an $8 million operation in just four years.

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