Comes from Canada one can solution, partial but not negligible, alle greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. To be the object of it are the cows, among the main responsible, in spite of themselves, of the phenomenon. Indeed, there are in the world 1,4 billion cows and by their flatulence release each 500 liters of methane on average per day, which contributes almost the 15% to global gas emissions (methane is the second largest, behind carbon dioxide) which cause the greenhouse effect.
New type of cow that produces low concentration of methane
In the state of Ontario, however, theLoewith breeding has already artificially inseminated 107 cows with the first bull semen available on the market with a low concentration of methane: it is produced, for now on an experimental basis, by theSemex company, which is already starting to distribute it in about eighty countries around the world, including the USA and the United Kingdom. But the market could soon expand, given that countries such as the New Zealand they will start to tax farms of livestock from 2025, and that even unscrupulous multinationals such as Nestlé and Restaurant Brands International (which controls the Burger King fast food network) intend to put the question to their supply chains.
In Canada, with new cows emissions reduced by 1,5% each year
At the moment, there are still no results that certify that the revolutionary method is effective. Semex swears that the green bull seed will reduce methane emissions in Canada by 1,5% each year and by 20-30% between now and 2050, and the Canadian Department of Agriculture has confirmed that although precise assessments have not been made, it seems that the reduction in emissions is "extremely important". Also Frank Mitloehner, a professor of animal sciences at the University of California, interviewed by Reuters said that raising cows with low concentrations of methane will have "a profound impact" globally. However, other experts believe the system is at risk. Juha Nousiainen, vice president of Valio, a Finnish dairy company, argues for example that artificial intervention on livestock could create digestive problems for animals.
The "climate-friendly cows" compared to the "traditional" cows
A collaborate with Semex in this project is another Canadian company, Lactanet, which is working on mapping the emissions generated by "traditional" cows from 6 farms in the country, i.e. equal to 60% of dairies in all of Canada. The results will then be used to compare the new generation of cows, the "climate-friendly cows", as Reuters liked to call them. As of today, this initiative is al 100% private, the result of innovation and synergy between various realities: the Canadian government does not make funding available, even if Ottawa is considering introducing a compensation credit for the reduction of methane emissions. “Genetic mutation – he commented Michael Lohuis of Semex – it's not the only tool that farmers can use, but it could become the simplest and least expensive one”.
