Food for thought: reducing methane emissions

George Wilson of the Australian Wildlife Services has suggested Australians switch from beef to kangaroo steaks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ruminant livestock like cattle and pigs are big producers of methane - they account for 35-40 per cent of human-related methane emissions. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas, contributing around 20 per cent of the greenhouse effect; 70 per cent of methane emissions relate to human activities.

Overall, the animal agriculture sector is responsible for 18 per cent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions - more than the transportation sector. Even more alarmingly, livestock numbers are expected to double by 2050 as populations in emerging economies pick up the meat-eating habit.

Eating kangaroos instead might help a bit, but there is a problem: climate change is predicted to eliminate much of the kangaroo's natural habitat.