Make 'em eat seaweed!

I assume by now you know that California has passed legislation to regulate cow farts! Kevin Boyd reports in Rare,

Depending on how the regulations are crafted, they could result in price increases on milk and other dairy products for consumers all over the country. California dairy farmers say they’re already struggling with high labor costs, a drought, and low milk prices. The new regulations, combined with the mandatory increased overtime pay that was enacted by the California legislature this year, could force many dairies out of business.

California regulators plan to combat the methane that is produced by the digestive systems of cows. Cows release the methane when they pass gas, belch, or produce manure.

One of the ways they plan to reduce methane emissions is by requiring farmers to change the diets of their cows. For example, Australian scientists have discovered that adding a sprinkle of dried seaweed to a cow’s diet reduces the amount of methane it produces by 99 percent. The same scientists who made that discovery are now trying to scale up seaweed production to meet global demand. There is no estimate on how much this seaweed will cost.

Read more here.