
A Sprinkle of Seaweed Could Deflate Gassy Cows (2016) - Red_Tarsius
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/11/seaweed-may-be-the-solution-for-burping-cows/
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Red_Tarsius
Summary points:

> _the average cow produces_ 200~500 liters _of methane per day._

> _There are_ ~1.5 billion _cows worlwide_.

> ~14.5% _of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock. That
> is more than global car and airplane traffic emissions combined._

> _While sheep, goats, buffalo, giraffes and camels all generate methane,_ 65%
> _comes from cows_.

> _dairy cows not only produce more methane than beef cattle, but outnumber
> them by a ratio of_ 10 _to_ 1 _in the United States._

> _They tested_ ~20 _different species of seaweed in artificial cow stomachs.
> In the presence of_ Asparagopsis taxiformis _, methane production was cut
> by_ 99% _. Experiments in sheep showed that if dried Asparagopsis taxiformis
> seaweed made up just_ 2% _of total feed, methane emissions drop by_ 70%.

> _Asparagopsis is so effective because it contains a chemical called_
> bromoform (CHBr3) _that interferes with the microbial digestive enzymes
> responsible for methane manufacture._

Lastly:

> _Unfortunately, seaweed isn’t a quick fix for our atmospheric methane
> overdose. We just don’t make enough. Scientists calculate that it would take
> some_ 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) _of seaweed farms to supply a mere_ 10%
> _of Australia’s_ 29 million _cattle; to supply America’s_ 92 million _would
> take over thirty times more. While seaweed farming is a rapidly growing
> global industry, it’s not yet up to such herculean demands._

~~~
qbrass
>> Asparagopsis is so effective because it contains a chemical called
bromoform (CHBr3) that interferes with the microbial digestive enzymes
responsible for methane manufacture.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromoform](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromoform)

Good news is you don't need seaweed to make it. Bad news is it's probably
going to cause other problems when it starts building up in the environment.

