New Dairy and Livestock Enteric Methane Reduction Research Program — Proposals Now Being Accepted

Sep 12, 2023

CDFA is now accepting proposals for its new 2023 Livestock Enteric Methane Emission Reduction Research Program, until November 1 at 5 P.M. PT.

Enteric methane emissions are greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by fermentation in the stomachs of ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, or sheep, and are exhaled or belched by the animals.

In 2020, dairy and livestock enteric methane emissions were responsible for approximately 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) per year, representing 35 percent of the agriculture and forestry sector’s GHGs.

"Addressing enteric methane emissions from livestock is key to slowing the rate of climate change,” said John R. Tauzel, Senior Director of Global Agriculture Methane from the Environmental Defense Fund. "California’s investment in enteric emissions solutions is a leading example of how to support more resilient livestock systems and a healthier climate collectively."

The California Budget Act of 2022 provided $9.5 million to fund demonstration trials evaluating additives and dietary modifications that could potentially reduce enteric methane emissions in the dairy and livestock sectors. Funded studies provide advanced insight into feed additives' implications on animals and the environment.

The methane reduction research program will award competitive grants to universities (with or without a private partnership), non-profit research organizations, and California Native American Tribes.

Program administrators invite applicants who have advanced from a pre-proposal phase to submit full proposals via email by November 1 at 5 P.M. PT.

Source : ca.gov

Video: Spring 2026 weather outlook for Wisconsin; What an early-arriving El Niño could mean

Northeast Wisconsin is a small corner of the world, but our weather is still affected by what happens across the globe.

That includes in the equatorial Pacific, where changes between El Niño and La Niña play a role in the weather here -- and boy, have there been some abrupt changes as of late.

El Niño and La Niña are the two phases of what is collectively known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. These are the swings back and forth from unusually warm to unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator.

Since this past September, we have been in a weak La Niña, which means water temperatures near the Eastern Pacific equator have been cooler than usual. That's where we're at right now.

Even last fall, the long-term outlook suggested a return to neutral conditions by spring and potentially El Niño conditions by summer.

But there are some signs this may be happening faster than usual, which could accelerate the onset of El Niño.

Over the last few weeks, unusually strong bursts of westerly winds farther west in the Pacific -- where sea surface temperatures are warmer than average -- have been observed. There is a chance that this could accelerate the warming of those eastern Pacific waters and potentially push us into El Niño sooner than usual.

If we do enter El Nino by spring -- which we'll define as the period of March, April and May -- there are some long-term correlations with our weather here in Northeast Wisconsin.

Looking at a map of anomalously warm weather, most of the upper Great Lakes doesn't show a strong correlation, but in general, the northern tiers of the United States do tend to lean to that direction.

The stronger correlation is with precipitation. El Niño conditions in spring have historically come with a higher risk of very dry weather over that time frame, so this will definitely be a transition we'll have to watch closely as we move out of winter.