Enteric methane - predominantly cow burps - makes up an astounding 5.5% of all anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas emissions.[1] This is greater than the contribution of the aviation industry![2]
Methane is better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, with 28 times the global warming potential on a 100-year scale.[3] However, it only has an atmospheric lifespan of 12 years.[4] This means if we reduce methane emissions now, we can reduce the agricultural industry’s contribution to global warming in the near term.
Contrary to popular belief, it is 90 - 95% burps, and only a small percentage of methane from the rear end.
[1] FAO; [2] Lee, 2020; [3] FAO; [4] CCAC.