• First work to apply GWP* to sectoral emissions from a North American animal production system.
• Serves as case study for the application of GWP* to smaller industry- and locale-specific CH4 emissions data. 
• GWP* matches the dynamics of warming from declining background CH4 emissions better than GWP-based emissions.

The CLEAR Center at the University of California, Davis has begun a partnership with the National Pork Board (NPB) to further sustainability research and extension in swine production. The CLEAR Center, led by Dr. Frank Mitloehner, leverages world-class research and science communication to improve sustainability in animal agriculture. 

Quick facts:

The United Nations estimates the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, with the greatest growth occurring in economically less developed countries and regions. Naturally, as the population rises, so will the demand for food. However, along with a population boom, the planet is knee-deep in a climate crisis, and there is a critical need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before it’s too late.

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UC Davis CLEAR Center Director Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who is also a professor and air quality specialist at the Northern California university, joined host Chip Flory and Davis Michaelsen to discuss the recent New York Times and Greenpeace articles discussing the Center’s funding from animal agriculture organizations. 

A delegation of feedlot owners from Mexico came to UC Davis in early November for a sustainability summit with the UC Davis CLEAR Center and Zoetis Mexico. These feedlot owners represented nearly two million head of cattle amongst them. Over two days scientific experts presented the most cutting-edge sustainability science to this group in search of ways to improve their operations.

CLEAR Center Director Dr. Frank Mitloehner joins host Dr. Kevin Folta on the “Talking Biotech” podcast to discuss the impacts of cattle on climate change and recent articles from Greenpeace and the New York Times pointing to Dr. Mitloener's support from the livestock sector, which as an animal scientist he works closely with to reduce the sector’s environmental footprint. 

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CLEAR Center Director Dr. Frank Mitloehner joined hosts Kim Stanford, Ph.D. and Tim McAllister, Ph.D on the “Cows on the Planet” Podcast to answer the question, "Can we eat our way out of climate change.” They discuss how diet choices affect the climate, ruminant use of marginal land and implications for global nutrition as well as food security, and the importance of food literacy starting in elementary school.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, CLEAR Center director and UC Davis professor and Cooperative Extension air quality specialist, joined University of Oxford professor of physics, Dr. Myles Allen, and other climate scientists to testify at a special meeting of the Irish Joint Orieachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The meeting focused on how methane emissions – including those from animal agriculture – should be considered and calculated by the country.