Climate Change & Greenhouse Gases
Climate and weather are an important management concern for animal agriculture. The intent of this web page is to assist those involved in animal agriculture to prepare and respond to current weather and the potential for a changing climate.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are increasingly important due to their tie to climate change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many other agencies have performed research to quantify where most emissions come from and where we can reduce them.
Leading scientists throughout the U.S., as well as the EPA, have quantified the impacts of livestock production in the U.S., which accounts for 4.2 percent of all GHG emissions.
Greenhouse Gas from Dairy Manure
- Sources of Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture - Jeni Wightman
- Greenhouse Gas from Dairy Manure Management at the Farmstead - Peter Wright, and Curt Gooch, 2018
- Part 1: How are Greenhouse Gases Generated?
- Part 2: Dairy Manure Management Impact on Methane
- Part 3: Dairy Manure Management Impact on Nitrous Oxide
- Part 4: Combining Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Dairy Manure Management
- Part 5: GHG Reduction from Crusts on Storages
- Part 6: GHG Reduction from Limiting Summer Storage
- Part 7: GHG from Solid Storage Systems
- Part 8: GHG Reduction from Solid-Liquid Separation Systems
- Part 9: GHG Reduction from an Impermeable Cover
- Part 10: GHG Reduction from an Anaerobic Digestion System
Anaerobic Digestion and GHG Emissions
- Greenhouse Gas (ghg) Emission Reductions Due to Anaerobic Digestion with mixed organic wastes - Christopher Bentley, Curt Gooch, Jennifer Pronto, Norm Scott, and Steve McGlynn, June 2010
- Greenhouse Gas (ghg) Emission Reductions Due to Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure (Presentation) - Jennifer Pronto and Curt Gooch, June 2009
- The Carbon Footprint of Dairy Production Systems Through Partial Life Cycle Assessment - C. A. Rotz, F. Montes, and D. S. Chianese, 2010
- Biochemical Methane Potential of Biowaste Feedstocks
- The Economic and Technical Feasibility of Methane Generation from Agricultural Wastes
Dairy Environmental Systems and Climate Adaptations Conference
- Conference Proceedings
- Northeast Experiences with Climate, Weather and the Dairy Industry - Art DeGaetano (Cornell)
- Animal Agriculture and a Changing Climate – Creating Climate-Smart Solutions - Bill Hohenstein (Director, USDA Climate Change Program)
- Animal Agriculture and Climate Change: A National Extension Approach - Rick Stowell (University of Nebraska)
- Sustainable Intensification of Animal Agriculture to satisfy Human Nutritional Needs and Protect the Environment - Frank Mitloehner (University of California, Davis)
- Evaluating Strategies for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change for a New York Dairy - Farm Al Rotz (USDA-ARS)
- Impacts of Climate Change on Manure Management - Peter Wright (NRCS)
- Climate Science Part I: Basic Climate Science - Pam Knox (U. of Georgia)
- Climate Science Part II: Climate Models and Projecting Future Climate - Pam Knox (U. of Georgia)
- Forecast Needs for Dairy Systems Under Climate Change - Stephen Jascourt (MDA Information Systems, LLC)
- ABC's of Farm-Based GHG - David Smith (TAMU)
- Potential Use of LCA to Prioritize Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies - Greg Thoma (U. of Arkansas)
- Carbon Markets Update: Project Examples, Costs, Returns, Lessons Learned - Patrick Wood (Ag Methane Advisors)
- What are the Best Tools Developed to Predict GHGs? - Wendy Powers (MI State)
- Climate Change and Northeast Dairy: Challenges and Opportunities - David Wolfe (Cornell)
- Climate Change Impacts on the Dairy Industry - Larry Chase (Cornell)
- Farmer Panel: Farmers’ Perspectives on Climate Change, Climate Adaptation, and Sustainability in a Commodities-based Market:
- California Dreaming- John Fiscalini
- Whole Farm Best Practices- Doug Young
- Dairy Farmer’s Perspective on Sustainability- Skip Hardie
- New Revenue for Digesters: The Renewable Fuel Standard and Low Carbon Fuel Standard - David McCullough (Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan)
- Lifecycle and Economic Assessment for NYS Dairy Co-digestion - Joseph Usack (Cornell)
- Biogas Opportunities Roadmap: Voluntary actions to reduce methane emissions and increase energy independence - Allison Costa (AgSTAR)
- The Current State of Carbon Credits and Carbon Markets - Jim Jensen (WSU)
- Tools and Technologies to Assess Heat Stress on Commercial Dairies - Todd Bilby (Merck Animal Health)
- Production and Physiological Responses of Heat-Stressed Lactating Dairy Cattle to Conductive Cooling - Kristen Perano (Cornell)
- Cow of the Future - Juan Tricarico (DMI)
- Impact Of Heat Stress On Reproductive Function And Performance Of Dairy Cattle - Julio Giordano (Cornell)
- Heat Stress Abatement Techniques for Dairy Cattle - Dan McFarland (PSU)
- Using the CNCPS to Formulate Cattle Diets Containing Forages Resulting from Harsher Climatic Conditions - Mariann Fessenden (AMTS)
- Effects Of Dairy Manure Management On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Costs Of Mitigation - Jeni Wightman (Cornell)
- Herd Management Strategies to Reduce Methane Emissions in Dairy Herds - Larry Chase (Cornell)
- Carbon Sequestration Potential of Grazed Pasture Depends on Prior Management History - Howard Skinner (USDA-ARS)
- Addressing Controversial Issues in Extension Teaching - Andrea Lorek-Strauss (U. of Minnesota Ext.)
- Extension Panel: How to Communicate if your Audience Isn’t Listening
- Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture- Allison Chatrchyan
- Are Maine Farmers Adequately Concerned about Climate Change- John Jemison
- Panel Presentation- Kimberley Morrill
- Using Technology to Optimize Crop Production in a Changing Climate - Todd DuMond (DuMond Ag)
- Development of Seasonal Forecast Tools - Toby Ault (Cornell)
- Adapt N: A Computational Tool for Precise Nitrogen Recommendations that Incorporate Weather Data - Jeff Melkonian (Cornell)
- Integrating Anaerobic Digestion and Nutrient Separation: A Synergistic Partnership - John Budaj (McLanahan)
- GHG Emissions from Injected vs. Surface Applied Dairy Liquid Manure in Alfalfa and Grassland - Amir Sadeghpour (Cornell)
- Gypsum Bedding Impact on H2S Release from Dairy Manure Storage - Mike Hile (PSU)
- Aussie Cows on Sustainable Farms Still Feeling the Heat with Extreme Events - Melissa Balas, Bega Cheese Limited – Australia
- Recycling Agricultural Plastics in Dairy Production - Nate Leonard (Cornell)
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Dairy Manure Land Applications with Tannin Feeding Trials - Claire Campbell (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Heat Flux and Condensation Rate in Conductive Cooling Systems for Thermally Stressed Dairy Cattle - Kristen Perano (Cornell)
- Use of Udder Skin Temperature as a Heat Stress Indicator in Lactating Dairy Cattle - Kristen Perano (Cornell)
- Nitrogen- vs Phosphorus-Based Manure and Compost Management of Corn: From Corn Performance to Soil and Environment Quality - Amir Sadeghpour (Cornell)
- Greenhouse Gases Emissions from Nitrogen- vs Phosphorus-Based Manure and Compost Management of Grain Corn - Amir Sadeghpour (Cornell)
- A Sustainable Waste to Energy Path: The Benefits from Organic Waste and Manure in New Jersey - Qing Li (Rutgers University)
- Quantifying Methane, Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Farm-Scale Separating and Composting of Dairy Manure in Canada - Melanie Fillingham (Agriculture, and Agri-Food Canada)
- Farm-Scale Measurement of Methane Emissions from Liquid Manure Storages Over Two Years - Hambaliou Balde (Agriculture, and Agri-Food Canada)
- Potential for Manure Treatment to Reduce Methane Emissions - Andy VanderZaag (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
- Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Sustainable Dairy Forage Rotations - Alejandra Ponce de Leon (USDA-ARS)
Archived Protocol
- Carbon Trading - Market Opportunities for Agriculture
- California Climate Action Reserve Protocol: Capturing and Destroying Methane from Manure Management Systems
- Climate Leaders Greenhouse Gas Inventory Protocol Offset Project Methodology For Managing Manure with Biogas Recovery Systems
- Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Model Rule
- Technical Support Document for Manure Management Systems: Proposed Rule for Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases
- Overview of Carbon Trading in Agriculture
- Carbon Credits Economics Manure Methane Destruction
- CCX Agricultural Methane Destruction Offsets
- One Farm's Experience