8 minute lesson
A seaweed growing off the coast of Australia may be our secret to reducing the harmful methane emissions from cows by 99%!
Cow’s bodies naturally produce methane as they digest their food. In fact, they release 30 to 50 gallons of methane gas into the atmosphere every day. Unfortunately, methane is a huge contributor to climate change and a warming planet.
As cow populations have grown, the amount of methane they release has become a big problem. So, what does seaweed have to do with this? Well, adding certain kinds of seaweed into a cow’s diet can reduce the amount of methane they produce! One of our favorite channels, Seeker, dives into this fascinating experiment.
Time and time again, we’ve seen that the answers to our biggest problems can often be found if we look a little closer at the natural world. And sometimes, that takes bringing two different worlds together.
The likelihood of a cow swimming out into the ocean to munch on some Asparagopsis is slim. Yet, bringing together seaweed and cattle may hold the key to balancing out our planet. How strange and awesome is that?
Seeker exists where technology, innovation, and the future collide. The celebrate relentless curiosity with an insatiable drive to question, inspire, and create.
Thank you to the EWCed writing staff! If you want to submit content to EWCed, please let us know.
Seeker. “How Seaweed Could Slow Down Climate Change.” YouTube, Seeker, 14 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGZVYSSFRA. Accessed 3 Sept. 2019.