Save Planet, Eat 'Roo Burgers, Scientist Urges

Belching sheep and cattle account for 11% of Aussie emissions

By Michael Foreman, Newser User

Posted Aug 10, 2008 7:22 AM CDT

(Newser) – Can kangaroo burgers save the world? One Australian scientist thinks so. Farming kangaroos to replace conventional livestock could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he says. Cattle and sheep expel methane gas—more harmful than carbon dioxide—through belching and flatulence, but 'roos don't, thanks to unique microorganisms in their digestive tracts, reports the BBC. Aussies currently raise some 30 million kangaroos. They taste "excellent—not unlike venison," said the scientist.

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Cattle account for 11% of Australia's carbon footprint. (© pamzpix)

A mother and her joey kangaroo seen in Sydney, Australia. Kangaroo digestive systems don't produce harmful methane. (AP Photo, file)

Eastern grey kangaroos at the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station at Lawson, Canberra (AP Photo/Mark Graham)

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It tastes excellent, not unlike venison—only a different flavor. - Dr. George Wilson, Australian Wildlife Services

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Save Planet, Eat 'Roo Burgers, Scientist Urges