Green Options » flatulence

How to Green Your Cows’ Gas

Dave Levitan — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:02:27 +0000

A recent study by Canadian researchers published in the Journal of Animal Science indicate that by fine-tuning the balance of starch, sugar, cellulose, ash, fat and other elements of cattle feed, methane production by the cows can be reduced by as much as 25 percent. If such a move could be implemented on a broad scale, it could be an immensely important piece of the emission reduction puzzle. Cattle farming accounts for as much as 18 percent of the total greenhouse gases emitted worldwide, according to a 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Fish Oil Diet Could Curb Greenhouse Gases From Cow Farts

Andrew Williams — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:44:16 +0000

Irish scientists have discovered that adding just a small amount of fish oil to the diet of cattle can vastly reduce the amount of methane produced by, ahem…cow farts.

Climate scientists have long known that, pound for pound, methane is 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping the suns rays, making it a highly potent greenhouse gas. An incredible 900 billion tonnes of the noxious fumes are produced each year by methanogen bacteria that live in the digestive systems of ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats.

Sheep and Cow Farting Vaccine to Reduce Climate Changing Methane Emissions

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:37:40 +0000

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. New Zealand scientists have developed a vaccine to cut down on livestock flatulence, which should help farmers avoid a proposed “flatulence tax” on the methane their livestock produces. New Zealand cows and sheep are responsible for about half of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Via: It’s Getting Hot in Here

For a more in depth post on the anti-farting vaccine, please visit Planetsave.

Anti-Fart Shots for a Cleaner Environment?

Max Lindberg — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:06:11 +0000

Aw, c’mon, pull my finger!

You’ve probably had that one pulled (pardon the pun) on you at least once in your life, and the old guy got a good laugh out of your response. It’s ok, old guys do strange things, I know.

Well, this isn’t about old guys, but sheep, cattle, deer and goats, the premier emitters of methane gas in the world. In this case, nature is “pulling the finger.”