Posted by
Catmman on Friday, March 23, 2007 12:25:26 PM
Subsituting one gas for another? (h/t:
Hot Air):
According to scientific estimates, the methane gas produced by cows is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. And now, German scientists have invented a pill to cut bovine burping.
The fist-sized plant-based pill, known as a bolus, combined with a special diet and strict feeding times, is meant to reduce the methane produced by cows…
Prof Drochner wants to use the pill to trap some of the energy from the methane, which is naturally produced in the fermentation process when a cow digests grass and is later mostly burped out through their mouths. Until now it has been wasted.
“We could use the energy to boost the cow’s metabolism,” he said. The idea is that the cows would use the methane to produce glucose instead of passing it as wind. In turn this should help them to produce more milk.
Full story here.
One thing about this story: Here we have the ingenuity of man when faced with a problem/challenge which led to the research to find a solution.
A scientist finds a solution, and apparently without resulting to the socialist standard - more government and higher taxes. Of course, this is in Germany, but the initial reports are promising.