Even Planes Are Greener Than This Guy

Methane production drops after farms adopt new feed

(NEWSER) - Cow belches have been called a bigger environmental threat than cars and trucks—and now dairy groups are taking steps to keep dangerous burps to a minimum, the New York Times reports. One Vermont farmer has seen his cows’ methane emissions drop 18% after boosting the alfalfa and flaxseed in their feed, while methane has plummeted some 30% in France, where industrial farms are using alternative feed. More»

Steaks do more damage than driving; cow farts also a problem

(NEWSER) - Four average-sized steaks generate as much greenhouse gas as an ordinary car traveling for 3 hours at 50mph. The meat also chews up 169 megajoules of energy, enough to light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days. These were among the findings of Japanese scientists investigating the effects of beef production on global warming, the Daily Telegraph reports. More»

Carnivores rejoice: a new pill makes beef more environment friendly

(NEWSER) - Who knew that bovine burping was a major source of methane gas and hence global warming? German scientists, that's who, and they've come up with a fist-sized pill to reduce it, along with the 4% of greenhouse gas emissions for which it is responsible. More»

3 projects seek adaptable agriculture for specific regions

(NEWSER) - The USDA is sinking $60 million into a trio of studies that will investigate how climate change affects crops and forests. The three studies will focus on specific crops in specific regions—Midwestern corn, Northwestern wheat, and pine forests in the South—and aim to help farmers and foresters continue to produce food and timber while trying to limit the impact of a changing environment, the AP reports. The country needs to steel itself for great weather-related changes, said an official. More»

(NEWSER) - Vermont dairy farmers are changing their cows’ diets in an effort to fight climate change, the AP reports. Milk production accounts for 2% of the country’s greenhouse gases, the vast majority of which comes from the methane-rich burps of cattle. Now, 16 farms working with Stonyfield Farm Inc. are feeding their cows a gas-reducing mix of flaxseed, alfalfa, and grasses instead of soy and corn. More»