April 23, 2024 – 12:22 pm
We can also take action against climate change through cows that sneeze less. To this conclusion Researchers from Australia's Curtin University have found thiswho reviewed the results of 27 previous studies to find possible solutions.
According to the researchers, the quickest and most effective scenario is to convert cultivated land into wetlands, salt marshes and floodplain forests. However, the current level of methane emissions would decrease significantly if more attention was paid to animals that breathe less, rather than livestock farming. Although estimates vary, methane emissions from livestock Contributes greatly to global warming.
Previous studies have already revealed that intestinal gas production is a genetic trait that can be easily inherited, which is why researchers want to take advantage of that. This does not fully explain what characteristics of this type can best be inherited, which is why, according to the authors, something needs to be done with the lands themselves. To be precise, some of them should be converted back into natural habitats.
They also found other useful solution options: According to the authors, it would be useful to solve the problem so that cows grow faster, wastewater treatment in beef processing plants could be improved, and it would be useful to give animals purified water with ozone. In addition, based on previous research, it may be beneficial to feed cows several types of grains, and various legumes and seaweeds can also be included in their diet. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The authors point out that despite being the world's second-largest beef exporter and a signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement, Australia is not doing enough to reduce methane emissions. Even the 2021 methane agreement was signed, but the government did not set clear targets for reducing it.
