Garlic 'may cut cow flatulence' (new way to fight global warming?)

BBC News ^ | 07/10/07

[TigerLikesRooster]

Garlic 'may cut cow flatulence'

Pull the udder one - cows can produce 500 litres of gas a day

Scientists in Wales tackling the impact flatulent cows and sheep have on global warming may have an answer - putting garlic in their food.

Experts claim cows are responsible for about 3% of Britain's greenhouse gases.

But initial results from the start of the three-year study show that feed containing garlic could cut the amount of gas produced by up to 50%.

The Aberystwyth research team is testing if this taints milk or meat - and gives the animals bad breath.

The study is being led by scientists at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, alongside colleagues at Bangor and Reading universities.

In Aberystwyth, researchers are measuring the amount of methane and nitrogen produced by sheep by housing them in a plastic portable tent.

Project leader Professor Jamie Newbold said new types of feed from plant extracts, and grass with a higher sugar content, were being developed to help solve the problem.

Garlic directly attacks the organisms in the gut that produce methane Prof Jamie Newbold

"Initial results show that extracts of garlic compound could reduce the amount of methane produced by the animals by 50%," he said.

"Garlic directly attacks the organisms in the gut that produce methane."

He added that tests were also being carried out to see if the garlic gave the animals bad breath and more specifically if it could taint milk or meat.

But he joked that this might be "good for the French market".

Experts consider cows the biggest single source of methane - a gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming.

The average dairy cow is capable of producing up to 500 litres of the gas every day, mostly through belching.

Reduce that, claim the experts, and farming could not only be made greener and more efficient, but it could also help Britain achieve its commitments under the Kyoto agreement.

Gas produced by sheep is also being measured

A spokeswoman for the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said recent research suggested that "substantial methane reductions" could be achieved by changes to animals' feed.

Prof Newbold explained that cattle and sheep were responsible for about 30% of methane emissions in the UK.

In Wales, they produced nearly double that - which amounts to 5% of Wales's greenhouse gases.

He said the work commissioned by Defra, worth some £750,000, had unified a number of schemes looking into flatulent animals.

The project also involves Aberystwyth's Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research and environmental specialists Adas.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Nervous Tick]

I’d hate to be the “new guy” on this project. *Someone* has to go into that tent and sniff that cow’s breath and lift that tail and... well, you get the picture.

[Bob]

The Aberystwyth research team is testing if this taints milk or meat - and gives the animals bad breath.

WTF, O? Why would anyone, other than another cow of course, care if a cow gets bad breath from the feed?

[doc1019]

I don’t know how garlic works on cows, but my wife will attest, garlic in my food ends up making her eyes water after the fact (so to speak). Good luck with the cows.

[TheBattman]

Pre-seasoned Beef and milk....

[Grizzled Bear]

Only Liberal Moonbats would want to create a cow with garlic breath.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Don’t you think this is starting the marinade a little early?

[vox humana]

Just when you think the global warming fanatics can’t come up with an even more ridiculous idea....

[TigerLikesRooster]

New fad:

Eat garlic beef, along with garlic bread

[TASMANIANRED]

Beano would not taint the milk.

[StormEye]

It’s difficult to believe, and also hilarious, that the global warming fanatics are actually testing cow and sheep farts in an attempt to prove that these animals contribute to global warming. Incredible. If only those people could see how stupid they look and sound to the rest of us.

[Let's Roll]

Aren’t buffalo (American bison) also ruminants - like cows?

So they must fart too?

And didn’t there used to be millions of them in North America?

So we must conclude that only the presence of white men make ruminant methane harmful.

And what about the deer population that now numbers in the millions in NA? They’re ruminants too. So they must be responsible for even more damage than killing motorists, destroying gardens, crops, flowers, shrubs etc.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

“The average dairy cow is capable of producing up to 500 litres of the gas (methane) every day, mostly through belching.”

---

Just think: 125 gallons of methane a day, harnessed properly, could cut petro dependency...

Can we train these cattle to exhale into a carburetor?

Like NASCAR, but now with added MILK!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, more likely, before they check on buffalos and deers, they will first check the entire human population and issue daily flatulence quota for each person. Anybody exceeding it has to pay a fine which costs more than a parking ticket. If you have illness which generates unusual amount of flatulence, you have to get special note from your doctor and submit it to a local flatulence control office.

[freekitty]

Why don’t we just take all of the alledged experts and feed them garlic.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Daytona Cow-Methane 500?

[TigerLikesRooster]

I suppose it will cut down their flatulence.:-)

[incredulous joe]

this stuff is just disturbing

these global warming freaks are off the res

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Exactly!

And in Italy...

(brace yourself)

(seriously)

(this is really bad)

...the Moo-ly Miglia.

(the 1000 mile Mille Miglia race)

And the other 1000 mile race, the one that is run in...

...Baja Cowafornia