CLIMATE CHANGE

OBJECTIVES: Define climate change Explain the impact of methane production on climate change Identify various methane emission sources Explain how agriculture contribute to methane production How the use of digesters contribute to reduced methane production

*Climate change is the large scale, long term shift in the planets weather patterns or average temperature

The impact of methane production on climate change: Methane contributes to climate change by trapping the suns radiation. This heat which is stored up causes global atmospheric temperature to increase thus resulting in warmer climatic conditions. *While methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, there is over 200 times more CO2in the atmosphere. Hence the amount of warming methane contributes is 28% of the warmingCO2 contributes.

The impact of methane production on climate change: The increase in temperature due to methane emission is a contributing factor in: *sea level rise *the melting of the polar ice caps *global warming *increase chance of stronger storms being produced

Methane emission sources: Industry. Natural gas and petroleum systems are the largest source of CH 4 emissions from industries in most developed countries. Methane is the primary component of natural gas. Some CH 4 is emitted to the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas. Because gas is often found alongside petroleum, the production, refinement, transportation, and storage of crude oil is also a source of CH 4 emissions. Industry

Methane emission sources(Cont’d): Agriculture. Domestic livestock such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels produce large amounts of CH 4 as part of their normal digestive process. Also, when animals' manure is stored or managed in lagoons or holding tanks, CH 4 is produced. Because humans raise these animals for food, the emissions are considered human-related. Globally, the Agriculture sector is the primary source of CH 4 emissions. Agriculture

Methane emission sources(Cont’d): Waste from Homes and Businesses. Methane is generated in landfills as waste decomposes and in the treatment of wastewater. Landfills are the third largest source of CH 4 emissions in the United States Waste from Homes and Businesses

Other methane emission sources: Wetlands-78% of natural methane emissions Termites-12% of natural methane emissions Oceans-10% of natural methane emissions

Chart showing percentage methane produced

Chart showing global greenhouse gas emissions

Ways in which agriculture contributes to methane production: Rice production enhances the production of methane gas because when organic matter decays without oxygen, as it does in water-logged rice paddies, bacteria in the water generate methane. *rice agriculture is a big source of atmospheric methane, possibly the biggest of man-made methane sources.

Ways in which agriculture contributes to methane production: Livestock, especially cattle, produce methane (CH 4 ) as part of their digestion. This process is called enteric fermentation, and it represents almost one third of the emissions from the Agriculture sector. The way in which manure from livestock is managed also contributes to CH 4 and N 2 O emissions. Manure storage methods and the amount of exposure to oxygen and moisture can affect how these greenhouse gases are produced.

Cows are major source of methane produced in the agricultural sector

How the use digesters contribute to reduced methane production: Digesters extracts methane, the active ingredient in natural gas, from manure. The methane gas is then run through a generator, producing electricity. This helps to reduce the amount of methane being produced on some dairy farms. Energy is a huge issue for dairy farms so everyone is looking for ways to reduce their energy costs and increase their profitability. Digesters have helped various farmers to achieve this.

Picture of methane digester

Questions: 1.What is climate change? 2.What impact does methane have on climate change? 3.Identify three methane emission sources? 4.State 1 way in which agriculture contributes to methane production? 5.How does digesters help to reduce methane production?