Bovine Burping to Be Monitored for Link to the Greenhouse Effect
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PULLMAN, Wash. — Cows will soon be chewing their cuds--and burping--for science.
Washington State University researchers exploring the effects of livestock on global warming want to find out how much methane cows and other cud-chewing animals produce when they belch.
Cattle will be fitted with equipment in backpacks to gauge their gas emissions under a $70,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to determine if such methane discharges can be reduced.
Most scientists agree ruminant, or cud-chewing, livestock produce about 15% of all methane released into the atmosphere, said researcher Hal Westberg, who is joined in the project by colleagues Brian Lamb and Kris Johnson.
Each cow backpack contains a gas monitor connected to a tube placed near the cow’s mouth. The first step will be to measure just how much methane the animals belch while they’re digesting, Westberg said.
No research is anticipated on cow flatulence, since it’s believed to be a minor source of methane emissions compared to belching.
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