A California dairy farm reduced its methane output by approximately 80 percent after installing special covers over its manure lagoons, according to the UC Riverside News.
The drop came from dairy digesters, systems that cover manure ponds with gas-tight tarps to catch methane before it escapes. The trapped gas is cleaned and sent into fuel systems, often replacing diesel in trucks.
Methane harms our climate by trapping heat in the air over 80 times more strongly than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. California's dairy cows produce a large amount of methane, not just from belching after eating, but also when their manure decomposes in open, water-filled pits without oxygen.
Scientists studied a family-run dairy in Tulare County, the top milk-producing county in the United States, for two years, taking readings before and after the digester was installed in 2021. Their van, equipped with gas sensors, initially detected some leaks. However, after notifying California Bioenergy, the company made repairs that reduced the methane levels.
"This was a textbook case of adaptive management," said Francesca Hopkins, the UCR climate scientist who led the research. "The partnership between scientists, the company, and the farmer really made a huge difference."
The work, published in Global Change Biology Bioenergy, supports what California planners had anticipated would happen. The state has invested money in these systems to help achieve its goal of reducing methane pollution by 40 percent from 2013 levels by 2030. Over 130 digesters now run on California dairies.
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Although these systems don't eliminate other pollutants, such as ammonia or tiny particles in the air that harm local air quality, they offer one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the expulsion of heat-trapping gases. The cost isn't tiny — permits, upfront expenses, and upkeep make them impractical for some farms.
"They're not for every farm," Hopkins said. "But for dairies that can make it work, this is one of the most cost-effective ways we have to cut these greenhouse gas emissions."
California is implementing more methane detection using satellites that can identify large leaks from space, allowing officials to investigate when they spot sudden increases in gas levels. This mix of tools and monitoring gives what Hopkins calls "a real example of cooperation that leads to measurable results."
If you live near farms, support local dairies that invest in methane-capturing systems. You can also reduce your dairy impact by purchasing from farms that use these newer, environmentally friendly methods, or by trying plant-basedfood and drink options.
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