Environmentalists Seek to Curb 'Moothane' Gas

Gauracandra · January 14, 2003

Monday, January 13, 2003

LOS ANGELES — Scientists trying to get to the bottom of global warming are having a cow — to blame, that is.

Researchers say methane-producing bovines are passing way too much gas and it is contributing to the environmental challenge.

"We've got to be proactive on everything so we're taking it seriously," said Bob Feenstra of the Milk Producers Council.

So what's the straight poop? Dairy animal waste produces so much methane gas, they’re becoming targets for environmentalists and energy companies.

Vacuum trucks scoop up cow pies in the field and dump them in digester facilities that turn the methane into clean energy.

But there’s no way to trap it all. Twelve percent of greenhouse gases that are believed to contribute to global warming are from methane.

Landfills are the top methane producer in the United States; livestock is second. Now dairymen and ranchers are looking at ways to make cows less gassy.

"We have expert veterinarians that remove the waste from the cows and analyze it, what's in it and what gases are being produced," Feenstra said.

The most common remedies are injecting the animals with hormones, altering the feed and disposing of their waste quicker.

But some scientists are skeptical of these methods.

"They're being fed higher quality feed, so there's going to be less methane being generated from cows. So it's not a situation that’s going to get worse, it's going to get better," said environmental researcher Nathan de Boom.

Even so, he added, "It's kind of hard to believe it would have some kind of significant contribution to the environment."

Canadian farmers have already taken steps to reduce their impacts on global warming, and landfill operators in the United States have dealt with stricter methane rules for years. So some dairymen worry regulators may target them next even though many think the whole issue is a lot of hot air.