Apparently, scientists have discovered that adding fish oils to cow diets reduces... flatulence.
What does this have to do with anything? Well, apparently cow gas is one of the major sources of methane, a greenhouse gas. And unlike, say, methane from a landfill, you can't really collect and use that methane for fuel (if nothing else, I imagine that animal rights groups would have something to say about it).
In addition to the well-documented health effects of omega-3 fatty acids, they apparently have some effect on the natural bacteria in the cow's gut, reducing the amount of methane generated. This is good news for the cow and the atmosphere.
In related news, it would seem that alfalfa and clover are also great for reducing methane production. This is great news for opponents of factory farms, where by definition the cows don't exactly have access to fields of clover. So non-vegetarians of the world, hold your heads high the next time you buy free-range, grass-fed beef. You're helping animal rights AND saving the planet.
Does this mean that grass fed cows are more environmentally friendly than corn fed cows because they emit less methane?
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