There is an ancient Chinese curse that says, "May you live in interesting times." Sometimes, it seems, the world must surely be damned, for these are definitely interesting times.
Some time back, over the course of the past few years, former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore referred to methane gas from cattle flatulence as being a contributing factor to global warming. Now there is a study being undertaken to determine how diet affects the gas a cow produces in the digestive process.
Brace yourselves (and that isn't meant as redneck foreplay. This time): there are backpacks that have been made for Argentinian cattle with devices being used to capture their farts and burps so that researchers can measure the amounts of methane and carbon dioxide produced when the cattle eat certain feeds.
Experts said the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.
In a bid to understand the impact of the wind produced by cows on global warming, scientists collected gas from their stomachs in plastic tanks attached to their backs.
The Argentine researchers discovered methane from cows accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country's total greenhouse emissions.
Right. Cow farts, gas goes into plastic container on the backpack, and then it's off for research and study. A study on cow farts?
Bill Clinton said he didn't inhale, during his campaign for the Presidency years ago. An astonishing number of people actually believed that, just like they believed Al Gore when he said "the debate is over" on the subject of global warming.
Gore didn't ask for the opinion of Lord Monckton.
And looking at this contraption strapped to the back of that poor cow, somebody obviously must have inhaled, at some point, and figured out a new way to inhale a lot more...
Perhaps in a related study research can be done on the gas of college guys after ingesting beer and pickled eggs?
Once and Always, an American Fighting Man
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