Does methane production by cows pollute the environment?

Agriculture accounts for the majority of methane gas emissions in Ireland (85 %) due to the dominance of cattle and sheep livestock production in Irish agriculture. These ruminant animals release methane as a bi-product of digestion of food in the rumen and large intestine. This process, called enteric fermentation, produces more than half of all greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Methane emissions from livestock depend on a number of factors, in particular livestock type, diet quality and feed intake. Research into the utilisation of this methane for energy production and the reduction of methane emissions by the dairy sector is ongoing.