‘Methane backpacks’ capture cow farts, turn them into green fuel

It’s common knowledge that certain types of organic waste can be harnessed as energy sources, with UK firm 2OC even recently turning huge greaseballs found in the country’s sewers into power for local homes. Now Argentina’s INTA governmental research body has developed cow backpacks that trap the methane they produce in order to turn it into green energy.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methane accounts for nine percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and the agriculture sector is the primary source of these emissions. Recognizing that methane released into the atmosphere is damaging to the environment, but valuable as an energy resource when captured, scientists at INTA developed a system that places a cannula tube into the digestion tract of cattle in order to directly collect any methane produced. ... The gas can then be compressed and stored in containers, ready for use to power a fridge or even a car.

It is from the bacteria that exists in their multi-chambered stomachs that allows them to break down cellulose that created the methane.

Methanogens are not considered a bacteria and do not aid digestion. They are more of a parasite. Possibly they could be controlled with a feed additive, genetically modified grass, or a methanotroph to consume the high energy methane.

You miss the point; cows are not the problem. In fact; there is no problem. The level of methane, even according to the UN’s own studies remains constant despite a rise or fall in cattle numbers. Again, it is NOT the cows.

But to humor your point: It is bacteria in the animals gut that aids in digestion. There are pro-biotic products that attempt to restore the bacterial balance to the gut. If the ph of the gut is upset, these bacteria die off quickly rapidly followed by the animal. The bacteria or microbial activity in the gut does an amazing thing; it allows us to eat sunshine! The cows is a vehicle to transport bacteria that breaks down cellulose, which we cannot, and provides us a consumable protein. Essentially, ALL meat is grass, all grass is sunshine.

Regardless, even if you could genetically engineer a steer that could consume a grass that produced no methane waste, should one consider methane a waste (I don’t, even the poop that comes out of the animal is not a waste, it has a purpose and is used), think of the outrage. People freak out over genetically modified corn, there is almost no way you could do an animal or grass. And who knows what domino effect will be set in motion by not feeding the soils via grass. In fact, the alleged carbon problem would bloom out of control. Healthy soils, via quality grazing practices will sequester more carbon quicker (Some say 5 years) than if we stopped all fossil fuel usage (some say 100 years)

Furthermore, if you could do a grass, there still remains the rest of the world is covered in your non-modified grass that still is eaten and decays and produces methane.

The point remains; cows are not the problem, nor is the alleged environmental imbalance, nor is environment the concern.

I'm agreeing with you, just pointing out that the microorganisms that output methane are called methanogens and are not classified as a type of bacteria. Many kinds of bacteria aid digestion, but methanogens do not. They do nothing for the cow. Some food plants have been genetically modified to produce a specific pesticide. Because methanogens are different than bacteria, there are chemicals, oxygen being a simple one, that kill methanogens and leave bacteria alone. The greenhouse issue is methanogens, not cows or bacteria.

The definition I have of methogens is “a methane-producing bacterium, or archaebacteria, especially an archaean that reduces carbon dioxide to methane”

How is a bacterium differnt than a bacteria? If CO2 is reducable to methane, it would seem that mehtane, in some way, might be preferable as it breaks down easier than CO2

I think methogens have a lot to do with the acidification of food in the guy, hence its effect on the Ph balance of the gut.

Still, whether it is methogens in cattle producing methane or something else producing methane, it adds up top the same thing, something will eventually break the cellulose down and produce something someone objects to.

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