Cow Burps and Climate Change?
Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at 5:48 pmApparently humans aren’t the only species with a carbon footprint! This most recent study is the latest spark in an ongoing discussion on the impact of methane, a greenhouse gas twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by burping cows.
On first read, I thought this article was straight out of The Onion. But– it piqued my interest. And after spending much of this afternoon poking around the internet and learning what makes cow burps so problematic, I can’t help but think that this is a topic that warrants more attention.
So what are your thoughts? Is the significant role that cows play in methane production further indication that the only green diet is a vegetarian diet? Should we be investing in efforts to reduce cows’ methane output? Or to potentially harness cow-generated methane as an energy source? Weigh in here!
Stockholm, Sweden (AP)– A Swedish university has received 3.8 million kronor ($590,000) in research funds to measure the greenhouse gases released when cows belch.
About 20 cows will participate in the project run by the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, about 40 miles north of Stockholm, officials said Monday.
Cattle release methane, a greenhouse gas believed to contribute to global warming, when they digest their food. Researchers believe the level of methane released depends on the type of food the eat.
Project leader Jan Bertilsson said that the cows involved in the study will have different diets and wear a collar device measuring the methane level in the air around them.
“This type of research is already being conducted in Canada so we will be in contact with Canadian agricultural researchers in the near future,” he said.
The research will be funded by a grant from the government’s Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.
The idea that belching cows will adversely affect the environment is genuine. I have read or rather watched various programs regarding global warming and believe that increasing amount of cattle will inevitably affect the environment.
posted on January 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pmThis is rediculous. I am sure that concerts and football games produce the same amount of CO2 with all those men burping. Thanks for the laugh!
posted on March 10th, 2008 at 9:25 amEmbarrassed: that should read “ridiculous.” (I learned to spell using phonics in public school.)
posted on March 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am[…] so I still have to (often unsuccessfully) suppress a giggle every time the topic of methane-farting cows comes up. But I also recognize the gravity of the issue, particularly in light of recently learning […]
posted on June 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm