Lyra's Sharebook 

"Manure Happens.  The Power of Poop. A Greenhouse Gas Turns Renewable Energy." has been shared with the Care2 news network and I am asking all of you to please note this story and share it with your friend network ad infinitum.  Please go to http://www.care2.com/news/member/469277529/866420 to rate this story.

Peace, Love and Light,
Lyra Jubb
Co-founder of www.EarthCollege.org

Methane has been found to have up to twenty-one times the impact on Earth that carbon dioxide does and trees will do not process it. Methane is produced by poop, fossil fuels, agriculture (which is usually manure/poop sprayed on a field before planting), landfills, from the natural process of marsh areas, and is also trapped within glacial ice which is now melting. With over 1.5 billion cows and 2.2 billion other livestock worldwide, methane emissions reach approximately 94 teragrams (Tg=one million tons) annually. This equates to about 18% of the methane added into Earth’s atmosphere each year. Some of this has been discovered to be from livestock burping and farting, but much of it if from their poop; and that is just one methane source. Cows that are fed corn and grains, instead of their original diet of grass, clover and other ground cover, will produce more methane in their manure.

Why aren’t politicians talking about methane? Perhaps they fear that to utter this fact to the public would infer that people should stop eating meat, drinking milk and that the raising of livestock should be abandoned. For all of the vegetarians and vegans out there who would love to see the day, I regret that is not about to happen.

Humans are omnivores and rely greatly on the food from cows and other livestock for nourishment and health. For many of us, if it tastes good, we will eat it; that is our freedom of choice. Can you imagine what life would be like without these animals? Many cannot and this will not change. Why should it?

The question really should be;
What can we do with the methane emissions from manure?....