A way of keeping an inventory and auditing of all gases causing a greenhouse effect generated by all sources, including business activities, organisations and individuals. It can be done on the basis of consumption or production. The period of accounting for the effect, for example over 20 or 100 years, influences the outcomes in terms of the contribution of the various greenhouse gases.
Published in Chapter:
Livestock's Near-Term Climate Impact and Mitigation Policy Implications
Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop (Beyond Zero Emissions, Australia & Zero Emissions Byron, Australia) and Lauren Rickards (RMIT University, Australia)
Copyright: © 2018
|Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-4757-0.ch003
Abstract
Human consumption of livestock remains a marginal issue in climate change debates, partly due to the IPCC's arbitrary adoption of 100-year global warming potential framework to compare different emissions, blinding us to the significance of shorter-term emissions, namely methane. Together with the gas it reacts to form - tropospheric ozone - methane has been responsible for 37% of global warming since 1750, yet its atmospheric life is just 10 years. Neglecting its role means overlooking powerful mitigation opportunities. The chapter discusses the role of livestock, the largest anthropogenic methane source, and the need to include reduced meat consumption in climate change responses. Looking beyond the conventional focus on the consumer, we point to some underlying challenges in addressing the meat-climate relationship, including the climate science community's reluctance to adopt a short-term focus in its climate projections. Policy options are presented.