Environment & Climate
U.S. crop irrigation prevents massive land-use emissions, study suggests
ScienceDaily reports that higher crop yields from irrigation prevent agricultural land expansion, offsetting hundreds of years of direct irrigation emissions.
The short version
- A Colorado State University study indicates U.S. irrigation prevents roughly 6.86 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the conversion of natural ecosystems into farmland.[ScienceDaily]
- The avoided emissions are calculated to be equal to about 363 years of direct annual emissions generated by U.S. irrigation practices.[ScienceDaily]
- The analysis excludes broader agricultural emissions, such as methane from livestock and releases from nitrogen fertilizers.[ScienceDaily]
Key facts
- Colorado State University research estimates that U.S. irrigation prevents 6.86 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions by limiting land expansion.[ScienceDaily]
- The calculated emissions prevented by higher crop yields equal roughly 363 years of current U.S. annual irrigation emissions.[ScienceDaily]
- The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- The study's models did not incorporate emissions from other major farming practices, such as livestock methane or nitrogen fertilizer usage.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Irrigation’s climate benefit could equal 363 years of its own emissionsScienceDaily - Environment