HOW TO CUT THE CHEESE

More proof that science will solve all our problems. Australian scientists are working on a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by modifying cow farts so that they no longer emit methane. No, really. Apparently kangaroos have a bacteria in their stomachs which gives them environmentally-friendly flatulence, and the scientists are hoping to transfer that bacteria to the guts of cows and sheep. This plan will also supposedly make the digestive tracts of these animals more efficient, potentially saving famers 10 to 15 percent on feed. A 400-page, $27 million United Nations study on animal farts found that the world’s livestock release 18 percent of total greenhouse gases, making them more destructive to the environment that all of the world’s vehicles combined. (The Age)