Britain's
finest scientific minds have turned their attention to a problem that they claim
is threatening the future of the entire planet - farm animal
flatulence. Experts at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen say
the average cow contributes as much to global warming as a family car that
travels 12,000 miles.
The
scientists are now trying to produce new foodstuffs that result in livestock
producing less methane.
Professor Harry McArdle, of the institute, said: "Cattle and agriculture
can be a very serious contributor towards the problem."
Although
vehicles produce a far larger volume of noxious gases, methane is 24 times
more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.
In
total, methane is thought to contribute about 18 per cent towards the global
warming effect.
The
Rowett institute is leading a European project to develop a feed additive
that can inhibit the production of the foul-smelling gas. Fumaric acid
is added to the animals' food, a chemical that traps hydrogen produced by
their digestive systems and stops it being turned into methane.
Results
of trials in lambs have far exceeded expectations, cutting the volume of
methane by up to 70 per cent. A patent is now pending. But cows
have proved more stubborn, and the scientists have been frustrated so far in
their attempts to substantially reduce their flatulence.
An
institute spokesman said it was looking for commercial partners for the
research, but said it was too early to say how its findings would be used or
how the new feed would be distributed.
The
New Zealand government briefly considered taxing farmers on their herds'
methane output but the proposal had to be dropped following opposition.
The [British] Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considered
introducing a system of tradable methane permits but the system was
considered too complex.
