Using GMOs to Solve Cattle’s Gas Problem
Cows are a major source of the especially potent greenhouse gas methane, but cattle farmers and researchers around the world are working on a way to combat climate-forcing flatulence. We’ve heard of Canadian farmers reducing cow-related methane emissions to “almost nothing” by introducing seaweed into their diet, and we’ve seen an Argentina research lab strap backpacks to their cows to collect the gas as it’s being emitted. The most advanced research in this area, however, is happening at the molecular level. As Wired reports, researchers are working on genetically engineering a solution to this problem:
[Scientists] at Pennsylvania State University are even genetically modifying the bacteria in cow guts. Simpler tweaks can have an impact, too: Vaccinating cows against common viruses mean fewer cows die, letting farmers focus on raising fewer, healthier cows that live long into adulthood—creating less methane as a result.
But scientists are also tweaking the cows themselves. The Genome Canada project, led by Filippo Miglior at the University of Guelph and Paul Stothard at the University of Alberta, harnesses labs in the US, UK, Denmark, Australia, and Switzerland to help identify cows that produce fewer greenhouse gases, with the ultimate goal of distributing the responsible genes—conveniently transported in the form of bull semen—to areas that don’t have the resources to develop their own greener cows.
When we think GMOs, we typically think of drought- or pest-resistant food crops, but genetic modification technology has many other potential applications with massive potential. By applying what we might consider “best genetic practices” to the way we raise livestock, we can keep that source of food secure while also reducing that industry’s impact on the environment.
That’s a big deal, because cows are reportedly responsible for nearly 10 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the more zealous environmentalists might argue that going vegetarian—or not eating red meat—is a simple fix that people ought to adopt, but forcing an unwilling public to change its diet would be as incendiary as it would be doomed to fail.
It’s good news, then, that so much attention is being paid to other ways that might reduce bovine emissions.
The post Using GMOs to Solve Cattle’s Gas Problem appeared first on The American Interest.
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