Scientists ponder why kangaroos fart less than sheep

Australian Broadcasting Corporation via Ananova ^ | June 3, 2002

[Clive]

Scientists ponder why kangaroos fart less than sheep Australian scientists are trying to work out why kangaroos don't fart as often as sheep and cattle. Queensland Government scientists are investigating microbes in kangaroos' stomachs.

The Department of Primary Industries researchers want to isolate the bacteria in kangaroos that prevents the production of methane.

ABC News Online says they then plan to see if it can be used to reduce gas emissions from cattle and sheep.

If successful, the move could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.

Department of Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said: "If we can have a breakthrough there, it'll be great news for the environment because at the end of the day it will mean a reduction in the 60 million tonnes of gas emissions that come from our cows and our sheep each year."

[Clive]

Sounds like someone had some money left over in his budget at the end of the fiscal year and did not want to hand it back in to the consolidated revenue fund lest his budget be reduced accordingly next fiscal year.

:-)

[Clive]

-

[leadpenny]

As Fritz Hollings might say, (in my best SC accent) "There's a whole lot of fartin' going on."

Can we say "fart" on FR if we're not in high school?

[jrewingjr]

I thought farting was what allowed them to hop so well.

[Inge_CAV]

"Australian scientists are trying to work out why kangaroos don't fart as often as sheep and cattle."

Wonder when these guys will discover that cats, dogs and horses fart too.........

[Victor]

Greenhouse gas from livestock? What about the 3 Billion or so people living on the planet....

Al Gore, check your messages.....

[Robert Drobot]

Lurking in the shadows, I suspect the EPA secretly financed this study intending to get the 'jump' on capturing and marketing K-GAS as ENRUN - "America's all gas, hot air energy source".

[IGNATIUS]

There was a Chicago dentist who reportedly achieved some measure of fame as an expert and celebrated after dinner speaker(Kiwannis Clubs,etc) upon the subject of crepitation.

According to a Denver newspaper article(as I recollect)--his independant research had determined that the daily worldwide aggregate of human farts was sufficient to inflate 2.37 Goodyear blimps!

[Clive]

Oz can't claim all the credit.

Our own David Suzuki raised the issue of the environmental issue of flatulent cattle several years ago.

He deserves at least a footnote in the final report.

[cavador]

The answer is simple:Roos mostly only eat grass.

Sheep have their diets supplimented with hay(lucerne)and their fleece is very thick with retains body heat and causes their stomach contents to ferment quickly.

[ASA Vet]

All of those animals fard less then human women.

[lavaroise]

Socialists wonder why people fart, while they tell us to shut up when we mention their hot air and flatulences in Monica and Bill's White House. It's all about being sinless scientists and this New Age of stupidity. These kinds of hypocritical things make big money these days at an Inquisition liberal art University near you.

[Inge_CAV]

Hey now, not gonna mention my ex-wife......... : )

[Reaganesque]

My question is: Who's the desperately lonely soul who first made this "discovery" and shouldn't he/she be under strict medical supervision?

[ASA Vet]

I won't mention mine either, other than to say it was real scary having her fard as she was driving.

[NMC EXP]

It is simple.....the roos suscribe to the philosophy of "why fart and waste it, when you can belch and taste it."

Regards

J.R.

[TheyConvictedOglethorpe]

"Government scientists are investigating..."

I'll bet we all guessed that as soon as we read the headline.

[Cacique]

They should have been studying politicians. especially democrap ones. Considering they are so full of sh*t and hot air, they probably produce more flatulence in Washington than the rest of the planet combined.

[MrNeutron1962]

Maybe Kangaroo's have better manners than Sheep.