Feeding cows pink seaweed could stop them burping and reduce methane emissions, Austrailian scientists have found.
Microbes in cows' stomachs produce methane gas as part of normal digestive processes, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The gas can pass through either end of the animal, but does so primarily through the mouth, in the form of burping.
As a greenhouse gas, methane may not be as prevalent in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. But it is far more effective at trapping radiation, and is 25 times more potent than CO2.
To combat methane emissions from cattle, researchers from Australia's University of the Sunshine Coast turned to a pink seaweed called Asparagopsis, which grows naturally off the Queensland coast.
When added to cattle feed at a ratio of 2%, the seaweed reduced microbes in the cows' guts, which eliminated methane production by up to 99%.
According to USC Associate Professor Nick Paul, who heads the Seaweed Research Group, Asparagopsis is not a particularly abundant species.
As such, the team is currently trying to determine the perfect growing conditions for the seaweed, with the goal of growing it sustainably, at a much larger scale.
If enough pink seaweed can be grown and fed to every cow in the country, Professor Paul says Australia could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10%.
