HomeAgricultureFeeding Seaweed to Cows Could Eliminate Methane Emissions 40%

Feeding Seaweed to Cows Could Eliminate Methane Emissions 40%

Prince Edward Island farmer, and founder of North Atlantics Organics, Joe Dorgan, has found that seaweed makes cows less gassy.

Based on his research, feeding cattle seaweed can reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 40%.

Methane gas accounts for 30% of global warming. One-third of that is from livestock pollution. So, the less gas that cows emit, the better it is for the environment (and anyone standing nearby).

Let’s put it this way: one adult cow has the potential to emit the same amount of gas as a small car. And, since the human population is increasing, the number of cows to feed them is growing too. The result? More greenhouse gas emissions.

Rob Kinley, the chief scientist of Futurefeed and a researcher who worked alongside Dorgan, said red seaweed can do even more. Based on Kinley’s research, when red seaweed was fed to livestock, it eliminated almost all their methane emissions.

According to Kinley, “We started testing seaweeds from coastal Australia, and it wasn’t long before the Asparagopsis species showed up, and it showed up in a big way. So big that we didn’t even believe what we were seeing. It took multiple runs of testing this before we believed what we were seeing, which was we couldn’t find methane anymore.”

The only challenge is harvesting it.

However, scientist Josh Goldman, the project leader at Greener Grazing, believes that harvesting seaweed may not be that hard to do.

It only takes 90 days to cultivate seaweed. This means that multiple batches can be produced each year. Plus, if farmers just place .2% of seaweed into the cow’s daily rations, they could:

A.) Save money on cow feed
B.) Be used to sell carbon credits

Practices such as this can reduce our carbon footprint and help farmers earn more money.

Right now, there are approximately 1.5 billion cows worldwide.

Most Popular
LATEST CARBON NEWS

Energy Efficiency Hits $660 Billion in 2024: The World’s Best Bet for Cutting GHG Emissions

Most industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from energy use. By improving energy efficiency, the world can cut energy consumption, lower emissions, and save...

Lithium Market Lows: How Are Albemarle and Pilbara Minerals Adapting?

From the latest news from CarbonCredits, you can see that the lithium market has entered a period of price decline. This is mainly because...

How Did the EU Cut Over 8% of GHG Emissions in 2023?

The European Commission’s (EC) 2024 Climate Action Progress Report highlights significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the EU, with an 8.3%...

Navigating the Green Hydrogen Hype: IRENA’s Take on the “Silver Bullet” vs. “Champagne” Strategies

From combating climate change to boosting economic competitiveness, green hydrogen offers multiple solutions to some of today’s biggest challenges. Significantly, it’s a zero-emission fuel...
CARBON INVESTOR EDUCATION

What is COP29 and Why Is It Hailed as The “Finance COP”?

As climate change worsens, the UN’s 29th annual climate conference, a.k.a. COP29, taking place from November 11 to 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, is...

Carbon Credits vs. Carbon Offsets

Carbon Credits vs. Carbon Offsets: What's the Difference? At their core, both carbon credits and carbon offsets are accounting mechanisms. They provide a way to...

Who Verifies Carbon Credits?

Carbon credit verification is a rigorous process that involves various steps to ensure the legitimacy of the credits.

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Carbon Credits

Everything you need to know about carbon credits, voluntary and compulsory carbon markets, and carbon investment...