A literature review of the applications in reducing green house gas in Essay

A literature review of the applications in reducing green house gas in the agricultural system - Essay Example Industrial agriculture causes global warming because it is intensive in fossil fuel, operations from confined animal feeds lead to emission of methane, application of nitrogenous fertilizer causes emission of nitrous oxide, and finally, large scales of land within the tropics are being converted into intensive monoculture plantations. The large livestock populations in the world produce high amounts of greenhouse gases that consequently influence climate change. Changes in the soils’ carbon flux can be very significant, even though it is small, because of the volume of soil (Smil, 1999, P127). Despite favor of livestock production by market forces, Smil (1999, p. 130) examines that application of alternative methods may help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while providing good livestock returns, sustainability and health where deforestation, land degradation, and feed-crop dependence are avoided. Mitigation efforts in agricultural systems include keeping fewer livestock, conservation tillage, intensification of livestock without crowded confinement, and organic farming (Casey and Holden, 2006). Reduction of feed grains that are chemically fertilized is however the most effective way of reducing pollution by greenhouse gases (Casey and Holden, 2006, p. 234). Maize, wheat, and soybean production emits about 17 million tones of carbon dioxide per year (IPCC, 2007, P.241). Together with the fast increasing number of livestock, the possibility of changing the balance between sequestering nitrogen and nitrous emissions in the soil is big. \ Another important strategy of reducing greenhouse gases by agricultural system is the application of policy mechanisms stipulated by Kyoto Protocol’s mechanisms of clean development to provide support and stimulus small scale farmers who are willing to practice sustainable agriculture. Potentially, about 1 tonne of carbon is