Philosophical Vegan Forum

FredVegrox wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:40 am

teo123 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:51 am

FredVegrox wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:38 am I found this online.

Rice, one of the most abundant crops grown and consumed globally, makes up 12% of global methane emissions – and a staggering 1.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. When rice is harvested, a ton of rice stubble and straw is left behind for every ton of harvested rice – 750 million tons globally in 2015. Currently, to clear fields for future crops, farmers either burn the rice straw, which results in significant carbon dioxide emissions as well as methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matters, or they flood the field to encourage swift decay – which also leads to extensive methane emissions.

However, we’re seeing increasing innovation to reduce these emissions. In India, one of the biggest rice producers along with China and Indonesia, a team has deployed the Happy Seeder Machine. This tractor-mounted machine cuts and lifts straw and stubble before mulching the field with it. A recent study says it reduces gas emissions by more than 78% compared to burning while boosting farmer profits 10-20% due to fewer inputs and higher yields. However, the study also estimated that around 16,000 machines would be needed to convert 50% of rice and wheat farms in India, costing roughly US $34.5 million. It’s unclear who would cover this cost. Sharing and cooperative arrangements would need to be set up and managed, maintenance costs are unknown, and technical assistance would be needed. Yet its early success is encouraging.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/sus ... he-methane

Still, cattle are the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide. Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Methane from cattle is shorter lived than carbon dioxide but 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere.

https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/wh ... ssil-fuels

That doesn't quite answer the question. I know there are ways to reduce methane emissions from both cows and rice. Cows can be fed with seaweed, which will result in them emitting less methane. Or you can have devices above the cow's mouth that catch the methane.
My question is whether cow's milk or rice milk emit less methane the way they are usually produced today.

But I am sure I did answer the question, whether or not you really wanted to hear it. That cattle are the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide was included in the text. That establishes that less methane is released for producing rice milk than dairy milk and dairy products. Or do you not want to hear that? If the only options are dairy milk or rice milk, for less methane released rice milk is better the way they are usually produced today. But with what is produced today neither needs to be chosen with other nondairy milk options available that can be chosen. I for one am not ever getting rice milk.

teo123 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 21, 2023 5:12 pm

FredVegrox wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:40 am

teo123 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:51 am

That doesn't quite answer the question. I know there are ways to reduce methane emissions from both cows and rice. Cows can be fed with seaweed, which will result in them emitting less methane. Or you can have devices above the cow's mouth that catch the methane.
My question is whether cow's milk or rice milk emit less methane the way they are usually produced today.

But I am sure I did answer the question, whether or not you really wanted to hear it. That cattle are the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide was included in the text. That establishes that less methane is released for producing rice milk than dairy milk and dairy products. Or do you not want to hear that? If the only options are dairy milk or rice milk, for less methane released rice milk is better the way they are usually produced today. But with what is produced today neither needs to be chosen with other nondairy milk options available that can be chosen. I for one am not ever getting rice milk.

Well, like I've said, I am usually drinking rice milk. It is the cheapest of the plant milks, and it is, in my opinion, the tastiest. Oat milk is slightly more expensive and is slightly bitter, which I don't like. Soy milk is even more expensive and it is slightly spicy, which I also don't like. And almond milk... Give me a break, it is about two times more expensive than rice milk, it is significantly more environmentally damaging, and its taste... I don't know which words to use to describe it, but it doesn't taste good. And coconut milk is about as expensive as almond milk, it also doesn't taste very good, and it is also unhealthy.