Bill Gates' Claim: Cows Vs Cars Pollution

A Facebook post claimed that Bill Gates said cows emit more pollution than cars. However, there is no evidence that Gates ever made this statement, and a spokeswoman for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has denied that he did. While the Microsoft founder has spoken about the need to reduce emissions from cattle, he has not claimed that a cow emits more pollution than a car.

Bill Gates has never said cows emit more pollution than cars

In his various speeches, interviews, and written works on climate change, Gates has expressed concerns about the greenhouse gas emissions of cattle and the need to reduce them. For example, in his 2021 book, "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster," he discussed the methane emissions created by cow flatulence and belching, noting their contribution to global warming. In the same book, he also identified passenger cars as contributing 7% of emissions, compared to 6% produced by livestock.

Gates has also mentioned the possibility of transitioning to synthetic beef to reduce the need for livestock and lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, at no point has he stated that a single cow emits more pollution than a car. A spokeswoman for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has explicitly denied that Gates ever made such a claim.

The false claim that Gates said cows emit more pollution than cars appears to have originated from social media posts and memes, which have been shared and presented as factual. Despite the lack of evidence, these posts have gained traction and have been widely circulated on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This spread of misinformation highlights the importance of fact-checking and responsible sharing of information, especially on topics related to climate change and environmental concerns.

Bill Gates has spoken about the effects of agriculture on climate change

Bill Gates has never said that a cow emits more pollution than a car. While the Microsoft founder has spoken about the effects of agriculture on climate change, there is no evidence that he has ever made this purported comparison in any of his public statements. A spokeswoman for Mr Gates denied he had ever said the comments, and AAP FactCheck found no record of similar statements in his various speeches, interviews and other works on the topic.

Gates, a high-profile activist for action to combat climate change, has repeatedly singled out the extent to which agriculture, livestock and cattle contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In an October 2021 white paper, he noted global sources of greenhouse gases and identified that passenger cars accounted for 7% of emissions, while livestock agriculture accounted for 6%.

In his 2021 book, *How To Avoid A Climate Disaster*, Gates discussed methane emissions created by cow flatulence and belching, writing: "The methane they burp and fart out every year has the same warming effect as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for about 4% of all global emissions." He also mentioned cattle as a significant source of methane in essays from 2018 and 2019. In a 2019 annual letter, Gates wrote that "agriculture accounts for 24% of greenhouse gases", adding that "cattle give off methane when they belch and pass gas".

Gates has also spoken about the possibility of developed nations transitioning entirely to eating synthetic beef to help reduce the need for livestock, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions. He has also led a $12 million investment in an Australian company that is aiming to feed seaweed to cows in order to reduce the planet-heating emissions that come from their burps.

Bill Gates has advocated for reducing reliance on livestock to cut emissions

Bill Gates has never said that a cow emits more pollution than a car. While the Microsoft founder has spoken about the need to reduce reliance on livestock to cut emissions, there is no evidence that he has ever made the purported comparison in any of his public statements. A spokeswoman for Mr Gates denied he had ever said the comments, and AAP FactCheck found no record of similar statements in his various speeches, interviews and other works on the topic.

Gates has, however, advocated for reducing reliance on livestock to cut emissions. In a filmed question-and-answer session with the Lowy Institute, Mr Gates elaborated on his ideology towards red meat. “Six percent of global emissions are from cows, who burp and fart methane, and we have two paths to solving that,” he said. “You can either fix the cows to stop them from doing that or you can make beef without the cows. Both of those will be pursued to see which one can lead to a better product in terms of taste, health, and cost.”

Gates has also previously talked about the possibility of developed nations transitioning entirely to eating synthetic beef to help reduce the need for livestock, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions. In his 2021 book, *How To Avoid A Climate Disaster*, Mr Gates discussed methane emissions created by cow flatulence and belching, writing: "The methane they burp and fart out every year has the same warming effect as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for about 4 per cent of all global emissions." He also mentioned cattle as a significant source of methane in essays from 2018 and 2019.

Gates has led a new $12 million investment in an Australian company that is aiming to feed seaweed to cows to reduce the planet-heating emissions that come from their burps. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which the Microsoft co-founder created in 2015, has spearheaded the funding of the Perth-based startup, Rumin8. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, and Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma are also backers of the Breakthrough fund.

Bill Gates has invested in a startup aiming to reduce methane emissions from cows

Bill Gates has never claimed that cows emit more pollution than cars. While the Microsoft founder has spoken about the need to reduce reliance on livestock to cut emissions, there is no evidence that he has ever made the purported comparison in any of his public statements. A spokeswoman for Mr Gates denied he had ever said the comments.

However, Bill Gates has invested in a startup aiming to reduce methane emissions from cows. The Microsoft co-founder led a $12 million investment in an Australian company called Rumin8, which is developing supplements for cows to cut methane output. Rumin8 is creating a range of supplements to feed to cows to reduce the amount of methane they belch out. The feed includes red seaweed and rangeland plants that replicate nature's anti-methanogenic compound. Lab trials have shown that the additive can reduce up to 95% of methane emissions.

In his 2021 book, *How To Avoid A Climate Disaster*, Mr Gates discussed methane emissions created by cow flatulence and belching. He wrote that the methane they burp and fart out every year has the same warming effect as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for about 4% of all global emissions. He also mentioned cattle as a significant source of methane in essays from 2018 and 2019. In a 2019 annual letter, Mr Gates wrote that "agriculture accounts for 24% of greenhouse gases", including "cattle, which give off methane when they belch and pass gas".

Bill Gates has also previously talked about the possibility of developed nations transitioning entirely to eating synthetic beef to help reduce the need for livestock, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill Gates has discussed the methane emissions from cows in his book and essays

Bill Gates has never stated that a cow emits more pollution than a car. In fact, a spokeswoman for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has explicitly denied that Gates ever made this claim. However, Gates has discussed the methane emissions from cows in his book and essays.

In his 2021 book, *How to Avoid a Climate Disaster*, Gates wrote about methane emissions from cow flatulence and belching:

> "The methane they burp and fart out every year has the same warming effect as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for about 4% of all global emissions."

Gates also mentioned cattle as a significant source of methane in essays from 2018 and 2019. In a 2019 annual letter, he wrote:

> "Agriculture accounts for 24% of greenhouse gases. That includes cattle, which give off methane when they belch and pass gas."

Gates has also spoken about cow flatulence in interviews with CNN and The Guardian, among other media outlets. In 2019, he wrote:

> "Cows, with their burps and farts, are a good example of something that contributes to climate change but isn't related to generating electricity."

In an October 2021 white paper, Gates noted that passenger cars accounted for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while livestock agriculture accounted for 6%. Gates has advocated for reducing emissions from cattle and has invested in startups aiming to reduce methane emissions from cows.

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