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Cows Affect Earth’s Climate

Many scientists believe that Earth is slowly heating up and that greenhouse gases are a likely cause. These gases create a “b1． ” that traps the sun’s heat in Earth’s atmosphere. As a result, there have been strange weather patterns around the world, such as storms and melting polar ice. The greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, emitted (散发) by decaying trees and certain burning fuels in cars and power plants. Methane is another greenhouse gas.

The problem with greenhouse gases is that their molecules (分子) easily absorb radiation (热辐射) from the sun, and they hold onto the radiation. Methane is a particularly problematic gas because each of its molecules traps t2． more heat than a molecule of carbon dioxide. During the past 100 years, the amount of methane in Earth’s atmosphere has risen by 145 percent, and it’s possible that it will continue to rise f3．. So, where does the methane come from? Animals cause a lot of it!

Many people believe that cows are adding more pollution to the environment than cars, surprisingly. When an animal eats, bacteria b4． down the food inside its gut. This forms methane, an invisible gas. Nearly all animals r5． this gas, often by burping. Worldwide, 28 percent of all methane that enters the atmosphere comes from livestock (牲畜). One of the worst offenders is cows. There are 1.5 billion cows worldwide. Due to the fact that methane holds more h6． than carbon dioxide, it’s no wonder that people are blaming cows!

Although these facts are startling, there is hope that we can cut down on the amount of methane gas. E7． have shown that a type of red seaweed can be dried and added to cow feed. When only a small amount of seaweed is added to the cow feed, the cow does not n8． it. Still, this small percentage makes a huge difference, cutting the cow’s methane production by 70 percent. And, cows that consume this seaweed are healthier, too.

If people rely on this seaweed as a final s9．, there is only one problem-there isn’t enough of it in the sea at the present time. Right now, all the red seaweed is picked by divers by hand. This is simply the start of seaweed farming. T10．, it may take decades to increase the amount of seaweed readily available to farmers for their gassy cows. Still, it’s a relief to know that scientists are constantly working to address this issue.