Well, if you can’t find as much beef around as before, the beef are probably taking part of a very intriguing study on global warming.
Since methane gas stays in the atmostphere for 9-15 years and is 21 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere, it is a highly studied greenhouse gas. Methane gases are released by humans and other natural life forms through biological processes. One of them being farts.
If you didn’t know, cow farts have methane. Ours do as well. Everybody farts and burps. Some are louder and smellier than others. Here’s what happens: When we eat or talk we (and I am saying we in the general/natural sense. Including both humans and animals) tend to swallow air. This air is useless to our bodies and our bodies choose to expell these pockets of air by burping or farting. We also produce excess gases through the break down of food in our digestive system. If you didn’t take a bunch of Beano before eating, you will probably burp or fart after eating. It’s okay. We all do it. I’ll admit that I fart. A lot. All the time. Every day.
Cows and sheep seem to fart quite prolifically. So much so, that scientists have been debating how much cow burps and farts are affecting global warming. The EPA describes ruminant animals (cows, sheep, camels, goats, and buffalo) as a significant contributor to increased atmostpheric methane. It’s the 3rd largest source of methane gas in the U.S. This flatulance is 23% more damaging to our atmosphere than car emissions.
If you haven’t noticed (living in the Midwest, it’s hard not to) there’s a lot of cows in the U.S. and in some other countries. The beef and dairy industry is huge. There are millions of cows farting and burping the polar icecaps into non-existence. To top it all off, cows have no idea that their methane laced leakers are destroying the earth. It’s up to us, the ever intelligent human to solve this problem we have created by our love of Hereford, Jersey and Angus. Let’s help the cows save the Earth!
I am so relieved that some scientists have taken this on and are studying cow farts. I can’t believe that I didn’t complete a PhD in biology so that I could partake in this study. Yes, it involves cows and fart collection chambers. This is serious. It’s our children’s future and to their delight it involves talking about farts.
I am not going to describe this study any more. I would like for you to see this very serious study for yourself. The picture alone is moving. It moved me to tears (of course from laughing). Take a look and have faith that the World will one day be saved because we were able to control cow farts (tooters, winders, stinkers SBDs or however else you refer to this deadly gas.)
Still wondering if this is serious, here’s some more info: Here, Here, Here, Here
July 10, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Maybe if we fed them grass instead of genetically modified corn product one of their four stomachs would stop the farting? Just a thought.
I am also wondering of I work to stop my husband’s – methane release – problem it might count as a carbon offset to my excessive bleach usage?
July 11, 2008 at 1:16 pm
teehee!
I remember hearing once that because we’re so beef-crazy, cows outnumber humans significantly and that if aliens landed here they would think cows were the dominant species. Except in Japan maybe.
September 4, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Really good stuff.
Please let me know how much Humans pollute by burping and farting.
Thank you.