New diets for cows, sheep could cut emissions

Yahoo ^ | 4/4/11 | Nina Chestney - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

LONDON (Reuters) – New diets for cows and sheep could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, research funded by the Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) shows.

Feeding the animals maize silage, naked oats and higher sugar grasses could reduce the amount of methane they produce, the study by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences showed.

Agriculture accounts for around nine per cent of all British greenhouse gas emissions. Most of this comes from sheep, cows and goats.

Farming accounts for 41 per cent of Britain's overall methane emissions, which are harmful to the environment.

A trial showed that high-sugar grasses could reduce an animal's methane emissions by 20 per cent for every kg of weight gain and naked oats could reduce methane emissions from sheep by 33 percent.

[6SJ7]

[rlmorel]

I thought that graphic was great!

I know a crusty old New England conservative, cantankerous as can be...if we have beers and the conversation drifts around to liberalism and global warming, he always has to point out to me that liberals are concerned about “cow farts”!

I don’t know why, but it just tickles the hell out of me that liberal concern over “cow farts” imparts a kind of implacable ridicule in him...not spending...not cuts in the military...

cow farts!

[SIDENET]

I don’t know why, but it just tickles the hell out of me that liberal concern over “cow farts” imparts a kind of implacable ridicule in him

I have to say that it has the same effect on me as well.

I mean, with everything going on in the world, the fact that libs are worried about a "Global Climate Change" bogeyman caused by COW FARTS (!) sounds like something out of a bizarre, dystopia novel.

We truly live in interesting times.

[rlmorel]

In every sense of the Chinese curse, too...

[SIDENET]

(nods)

[clearcarbon]

Let them eat enviro-wackos.