Thursday, May 30, 2013

Can we breed the farts out of cows?

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Cows, goats, deer, and sheep naturally produce an abundance of methane — one of the more powerful greenhouse gases — but researchers are hoping that they can all but bring an end to that with selective breeding. Preliminary findings suggest it can be done, according to a team of researchers from over a half-dozen countries. The team found that methane production, which occurs through belching and flatulation, was consistent in each animal — gassy cows were always gassy, for instance. This should allow the team to breed animals that release methane at continually lower levels. If they can make it happen, the environment would benefit by limiting a major producer of greenhouse gases.


However, the team's intention isn't strictly...


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via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/30/4380700/selectively-breed-cows-reduce-methane-global-warming

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