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Newsletter
agriculture climate change

Food waste and agriculture are major drivers of methane emissions

Researchers have found that human activities, especially food production and waste, are responsible for two-thirds of global methane emissions, offering a chance for intervention.

Frida Garza reports for Grist.

In short:

  • Global methane emissions have risen rapidly, with agriculture and waste contributing nearly twice as much as fossil fuel production.
  • Livestock farming, particularly cattle and sheep, is the largest agricultural source of methane, with dietary changes and innovations like seaweed feed additives as potential solutions.
  • Managing food waste better, such as through composting, can also significantly reduce methane emissions.

Key quote:

Reducing methane "is also seen as a possible way to buy time.”

— Peter Raymond, professor of ecosystem ecology at the Yale School of the Environment

Why this matters:

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat much more effectively than CO2, though it has a shorter lifespan. Reducing methane emissions can provide a faster impact in slowing global warming, making it a key target for climate action.

Learn more: How the world wastes an astonishing amount of food, in three charts

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desertification & regenerative sustainable agriculture
Credit: ILRI/Flickr

Reviving ancient practices to combat desertification in Jordan

Communities in Jordan are successfully using the ancient practice of hima to combat overgrazing and desertification, revitalizing local ecosystems and traditions.

Diana Kruzman reports for bioGraphic.

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methane manure biogas digester
Credit: s pants/Flickr

Manure digesters may worsen pollution in large farms

New research suggests that manure digesters, hailed as a solution to livestock farm pollution, may actually exacerbate environmental harm by encouraging larger farms.

Laura Schulte reports for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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land use sustainable agriculture
Credit: Mizzou CAFNR/Flickr

New ideas shed light on addressing climate issues

Environmental scientist Hannah Ritchie discusses how technological advances could lead to a more sustainable future in the face of climate challenges.

Ezra Klein reports for The New York Times.

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Maasai women land stewardship
Credit: Danielle Brigida/Flickr

‘We said, there must be ladies’: the pioneering Maasai women ending all-male leadership of the land

In one Kenyan reserve, women are taking up roles that give them a say in community life and protecting the land they depend on – inspiring a new generation to follow in their footsteps.

sheep & solar panels agrivoltaics

Sheep find a home on Texas solar farms as “agrivoltaics” gain popularity

The practice of using land for both agriculture and solar power generation, known as agrivoltaics, is becoming increasingly common in Texas and nationwide.
carbon-negative soil project

Queensland carbon-negative soil project issued record number of credit units

It may look like a typical cattle paddock north of Brisbane, but this soil is doing much more than producing grass to feed the animals.
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