In a closed loop system such as earth, how does animal production contribute to rising CO2 and CH4 levels?

Question

I know that cutting down trees to make way for agriculture is a big factor in the global decline of the environment. And I know the problem with burning fossil fuel is that it is releasing CO2 stored in ground from millions of years ago. What I don’t understand is how a cow or a chicken contributes new greenhouse emissions?
fyi I don’t really eat beef and are trying to be flexitarian so this isn’t about defending eating meat.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Carbon in the atmosphere is the problem. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for that carbon to return to the earth.