Cure for cow flatulence cooked up by scientists
- From: ba_ba_b00ie@xxxxxxxxx (ba ba booie)
- Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2005 11:33:11 -0500
Cure for cow flatulence cooked up by scientists
LONDON (Reuters) - Cows belching and breaking wind cause methane
pollution but scientists say they have developed a diet to make pastures
smell like roses -- almost.
"In some experiments we get a 70 percent decrease (in methane
emissions), which is quite staggering," biochemist John Wallace told
Reuters in a telephone interview.
Wallace, leader of the microbial biochemistry group at the Rowett
Research Institute in Aberdeen, said the secret to sweeter-smelling cows
is a food additive based on fumaric acid, a naturally occurring chemical
essential to respiration of animal and vegetable tissues.
A 12-month commercial and scientific evaluation of the additive has just
begun, but he said if it proves successful it could be a boon to cutting
down on greehouse gas emissions.
"In total around 14 percent of global methane comes from the guts of
farm animals. It is worth doing something about," Wallace said. Other
big sources of methane are landfills, coalmines, rice paddies and bogs.
Scientists in Australia and New Zealand have also been working to
develop similar products amid growing concern about greenhouse gas
emissions from cattle and sheep.
In New Zealand the government in 2003 proposed a flatulence tax, with
methane emitted by farm animals responsible for more than half the
country's greenhouse gases. The plan was ultimately withdrawn after
widespread protests.
"We've had more success than they (scientists in Australia and New
Zealand) have. Everyone has been trying different methods. We just got
lucky," Wallace said.
bbb wrote:
***"In total around 14 percent of global methane comes from the guts of
farm animals.***
I wonder what is the percentage of gas that is being spewed by humans?
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