Greening the Herds: Trying to Limit Cows' 'Emissions'

[steven johnson]

Cattle are often cited in their contribution to global warming. Now progress is being reported in limiting their emissions.

Frank Mitloehner, a University of California, Davis, professor who places cows in air-tight tent enclosures and measures what he calls their "eruptions," says the average cow expels - through burps mostly, but some flatulence - 200 to 400 pounds of methane a year.

William R. Wailes, the head of the department of animal science at Colorado State University who is working on the cow of the future, says scientists are looking at everything from genetics - cows that naturally belch less - to adjusting the bacteria in the cow's stomach.

When the scientists began putting high concentrations of Omega-3 back into the cows' food year-round, the animals were more robust, their digestive tract functioned better and they produced less methane.

A reason farmers like corn and soy is that those crops are a plentiful, cheap source of energy and protein - which may lead some to resist replacing them. But Ms. Laurain said flax cost less than soy, although grain prices can fluctuate. The flax used in the new feed is grown in Canada, is often heated to release the oil in its seed and yield the maximum benefit for the cow. For now, however, that process is expensive because there is no plant for it in the United States, and the flax is shipped to Europe for heating.
If the pilot program was expanded, she said, a heating facility would be built in the United States, and processing costs could be slashed.
Ms. Laurain maintains that even if the feed costs more, it yields cost savings because the production of milk jumps about 10 percent and animals will be healthier, live longer and produce milk for more years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/us/05cows.html

[Teaser]

1. ASSBAG WIN

.

[izquierdista]

2. More milk....

And what have dairy farmers been telling us about supply and demand?

[keopeli]

3. Great synergy of positive forces.

I realize many of my friends are averse to meat and violence against animals. I, on the other hand, was born and raised among Texas farmers and ranchers. We ate beef regularly, even for breakfast. I have no problem with the concept or practice.

As a short term solution (10-30 years), changing bovine diet to flax might be a real step forward. (Much better regulation of the ranching industry regarding animal cruelty would be just a start.)

The way they have tied together the issues of industrial and agricultural jobs, multi-national relations and trade, environmental awareness and conservation, and healthier lifestyle choices is really fantastic!

[doodadem]

4. OR......

Stop feeding cattle this unnatural diet of grain, and turn them out on pasture. Eat less beef.