New molecule found can inhibit methane emissions from one of the bigger greenhouse gas producers... cows

08/03/2015 - 02:49

Chris Mooney | @chriscmooney


First, let’s get one thing straight. Despite what you may have heard, it is cow burps, not cow farts, that are the real climate change problem.

Here’s how it works: Cows digest their food in four-part stomachs, including a “rumen,” which is a site that allows for fermentation — a process that gives off a lot of carbon dioxide and methane gas, as microorganisms aid in the process of digestion.

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An inhibitor persistently decreased enteric methane emission from dairy cows with no negative effect on milk production. PNAS (2015) | DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1504124112