GP PROJECT SCRIPT
Who is SPEAKING:
Parivash
Shanzay
Khadija
Ibrahim Faraz
Video Intro:
Starts with
Bay View Academy
2025
Parivash Asghar, Shanzay Arshad, Khadija Mubashir & Ibrahim
Faraz
“How do greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming
accelerate climate change?” [NARRATED BY: Parivash]
Introduction:
Livestock farming is essential for feeding billions of people, but it
also plays a major role in climate change. According to the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the livestock sector accounts
for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions—a figure
that even surpasses emissions from the entire transportation
sector.
A key reason for this is methane, a greenhouse gas far more
effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Animals like cows,
sheep, and goats release methane as part of their digestion
process, making livestock farming a major driver of global
warming.
In this video, we’ll break down how livestock emissions contribute
to climate change, some stakeholders facing similar issues, and
what solutions exist to address this growing problem.
Causes:
Livestock farming plays a major role in accelerating climate
change due to the release of powerful greenhouse gases like
methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). These emissions come
from several sources, including enteric fermentation, manure
management, and land use changes for animal feed production.
Enteric fermentation occurs in the digestive systems of ruminant
animals like cows, sheep, and goats. During this process,
methane is released—mainly through burping! In fact, over 90%
of enteric methane emissions from cattle come out this way.
Methane is a serious problem because it's 28 times more powerful
than carbon dioxide (CO₂) in trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Manure management also contributes heavily. When manure is
stored in large amounts and breaks down anaerobically (without
oxygen), it releases both methane and nitrous oxide. Nitrous
oxide is 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of
global warming potential. That’s a lot of heat-trapping power for
one lil gas molecule!
Land use change—like cutting down forests to make room for
grazing animals or to grow animal feed—releases huge amounts
of stored carbon into the atmosphere. This not only reduces the
number of trees absorbing CO₂, but it also adds more emissions
from deforestation and soil disturbance.
The production of animal feed (like corn and soy) also leads to
emissions. Growing these crops requires synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides, which release nitrous oxide. Plus, the fossil fuels used
in farm machinery, irrigation, and transport add even more CO₂ to
the atmosphere.
Lastly, livestock farming operations burn fossil fuels for
processing, transportation, and energy use, all of which contribute
to the total greenhouse gas footprint.
In summary, emissions from animals themselves, their waste, and
the entire system built to feed and house them all play a role in
climate change. Using the concept of carbon dioxide equivalents
(CO₂e) helps us compare the impact of all these gases fairly. Even
small sources—like decomposing plant matter in the soil—can add
up when you consider the scale of global livestock farming.
Consequences:
One of the biggest consequences of livestock farming is
deforestation, especially in tropical regions. In fact, 41% of
tropical deforestation is caused by clearing land for cattle
pastures, out of the 10 million hectares of forest lost every year
worldwide. When these lush, carbon-rich forests are destroyed,
the carbon stored in trees and soil is released back into the
atmosphere, worsening global warming and even contributing to
ozone layer thinning.
In the Amazon Rainforest, this impact is becoming especially
alarming. So much land has been cleared for agriculture that the
rainforest—once a major carbon sink—is now at risk of becoming
a net carbon emitter. That means instead of absorbing CO₂, it
could start releasing more than it stores, making climate change
even harder to control.
Another major issue is methane, a potent greenhouse gas
produced during livestock digestion (through a process called
enteric fermentation) and from manure management. Methane is
about 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping
heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.
As global demand for meat and dairy continues to rise, the
number of livestock animals increases—leading to more methane
emissions. This surge in methane worsens the greenhouse effect,
causing a rise in global temperatures. Higher temperatures bring
serious consequences: disrupted weather patterns, extreme
weather events like floods and heatwaves, and declining crop
productivity in many regions, especially those already vulnerable
to food insecurity.
So in short, the consequences of livestock farming aren’t just
about what’s happening on the farm—it’s about what’s happening
to the whole planet. From vanishing rainforests to a warming
world, the effects are massive and urgent.
