By tracking the cows' diets, and thus their methane production, researchers can help slow global warming.
By Colin Lecher Posted 11.29.2012 at 12:06 pm 11 Comments

Gaseous State Marcos Brindicci (Blow it up!)

Cow burps are a problem. Also cow farts. Those are responsible for 28 percent of all human-related methane emissions. When those methane-y gases are released into the atmosphere, they heat up the already warming planet. So some researchers are enlisting technology to help out.

The Sustainable Agriculture Flagship in Australia will install winged, wireless electronics with infrared sensors in cows' digestive tracts to monitor how much methane the animals are releasing. With that data, they can alter their diets to the most eco-friendly palette. And thanks to the wings, the devices will stay in the cows for weeks, sending plenty of info back to researchers. Ideally the researchers will have a device in the cow at all times.

In short, it's a sort of gross (but useful!) trial and error system. By checking what's coming out, researchers and farmers can affect methane release by what goes in.

[Grist via Co.Exist]

11 Comments

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democedes
11/29/12 at 12:28 pm

If you strap a big enough fart sack onto that cow, it could get airborne. Holy cow!

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Robot
11/29/12 at 12:29 pm

Be as much of a vegetarian leads to a healthier life time result anyways.

Moooo-over cows, the fruit, vegetable, grain, and nut garden is the way of the future!

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Robot
11/29/12 at 12:33 pm

democedes,
If we really do sent a cow aloft and with the right perspective with the moon in the background, we might actually see the cow that jumps over the moon too.

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killerT
11/29/12 at 1:00 pm

Then add a cat a dog and a fiddle and some cutlery and this research might make sense.

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SLNuke87
11/29/12 at 2:22 pm

This article almost makes me want to stop reading PopSci.

Almost.

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Robot
11/29/12 at 5:19 pm

Eat more carrots!

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homegrownsmoker
11/29/12 at 5:54 pm

Environmentalism begins on ones plate. Want to effect change? Go Vegan.

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democedes
11/29/12 at 6:10 pm

@homegrownsmoke

Better yet: Go Cannibal. People are the problem right?

Cannibalism... Saving the planet one meal at a time.

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11/29/12 at 8:48 pm

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beefymclovin
11/30/12 at 1:58 am

seriously? im at a loss for words.

also if cows are the problem then going vegan is not the answer. BRING ON THE STEAKS!!!!

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user64x
11/30/12 at 2:50 pm

What's the point of spending thousands putting robots in each cow's stomach just to monitor how much gas the cow produces AND adjust the diet for the cow when they produce too much fart? Can't they just ditch the robot monitor part and jump straight to giving the cow right diet to stop producing that much gas?



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