Livestock contribute to climate change

From New Zealand to the United States and Kenya to Colombia, scientists are on a mission to fight global warming by making livestock less gassy. Livestock are responsible for about 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). This puts the livestock sector on parwith transport. The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says transport is responsible for 14 percent of emissions.

Ruminants such as cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats produce nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane, which is the most emitted gas and is released through belching. Scientists are working on ways to reduce the emissions, including by breeding animals that burp less, adjusting their diets so they produce less methane. „We domesticated ruminants over 10,000 years ago and relatively little has changed,“ said Elizabeth Latham, co-founder of Texas-based Bezoar Laboratories. The company is working on a type of probiotic – helpful bacteria or yeasts in the digestive system – which has shown a 50 percent reduction of methane emission in cattle.

Thousands of miles away, New Zealand’s AgResearch has bred sheep to produce 10 percent less methane. „In a single sheep, 10 percent may be not so significant. But when there’s 19 million sheep in the country, it starts to make a huge impact,“ said Suzanne Rowe, a geneticist at the government institute.

Attempts to reduce methane emissions from livestock are not limited to the world’s most affluent nations. In India, a national programme to boost the milk production of cows and buffalos by improving their diet is also helping the environment, according to Rajesh Sharma, senior manager at the National Dairy Development Board. The NDDB uses software to assess the ideal diet for an animal, based on its physical profile and environment. Changes usually include adjusting the quantity and adding locally-available mineral supplements.

In Kenya, scientists are testing various local grasses to see if they improve the productivity of livestock, which would reduce the amount of emissions per kg of milk, meat or eggs.

Latin American ranchers are experimenting with silvopastoralism – planting trees in pastures where they absorb greenhouse gases and offset emissions, while restoring degraded soil and improving biodiversity.

„They can be different types of trees – for timber, fruit trees, even trees that animals can eat,“ said Jacobo Arango, a researcher at the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture.

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Text pochází z agentury Reuters Zdroj LN

NAUČTE SE GRAMATIKU PODLE TEXTU

Dnes nás zajímá spojení přídavné jméno + předložka, a sice ve větě „Livestock are responsible for about 14.5 % …“ („Hospodářská zvířata jsou zodpovědná za zhruba 14,5 %…“). Přídavná jména se vyskytují s určitými předložkami, přičemž nejsou daná žádná pravidla, proto je třeba se kombinace učit postupně. Jedno přídavné jméno se může pojit s různými předložkami, a získat tak odlišné významy, např. responsible to(zodpovídající se komu, podléhající komu). Běžnými kombinacemi jsou např. good/bad at, famous/suitable/fit for, full/tired/fond of, angry/pleased/happy with, married/similar/generous to.

Doplňte předložku:

He isn’t fit _ the trip. I am responsible _ the sales manager. She is really bad _ drawing. They got tired _ all the new rules. You did a good job, I am pleased _ you.

SLOVÍČKA

livestock hospodářská zvířata

contribute přispívat

fight bojovat

gassy nadmutý

put on par stavit na roveň

ruminant přežvýkavec

cattle (hovězí) dobytek

buffalo buvol, bizon, zubr

nitrous oxide oxid dusný

carbon dioxide oxid uhličitý

release vypustit, uvolnit

belch říhat, krkat

breed chovat

burp krknout, říhnout

adjust upravit, přizpůsobit

yeast kvasinky

digestive trávicí

impact dopad, vliv

affluent bohatý, majetný

assess vyhodnotit, stanovit

supplement doplněk

silvopastoralism lesní pastevectví

pasture pastvina

offset vyvážit, kompenzovat