Livestock produce significant amounts of methane as part of their normal digestive processes. It's about the same from oil and gas. Scientists are now tackling methane emissions with seaweed feed. This week, listen to Ermias Kebreab, Associate Dean and Professor of Animal Science at UC Davis, to learn about how seaweed diets can help cows produce less methane. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-seaweed-helps-scientists-reduce-methane-emissions/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-seaweed-helps-scientists-reduce-methane-emissions/
Ermias: Livestock is number one or number two in terms of anthropogenic methane. It's about the same from oil and gas. What we need to do is to reduce methane by about a third of a percent a year.
Ethan: That's Ermias Kebreab [air-MAY-us Keb-ROB], Associate Dean and Professor of Animal Science at UC Davis. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. But using seaweed as a feed additive for livestock could potentially reduce these emissions by over 80%.
Ermias: The type of seaweed is Asparagopsis Taxiformis which is a red seaweed and it contains bromoform or other halogenated compounds. That compound inhibits the production of methane from microbes in the cow's gut. We have seen an improvement in feed efficiency. So basically they eat a little bit less, but they gained the same weight.
Ethan: This seaweed has to be grown and not just harvested from the ocean. There are three companies currently doing that work.
Ermias: They estimate that there will be enough production of seaweed to feed all cattle in the US by 2030. We have to lobby the FDA and USDA to see this not as a drug, which it is not, it needs to be classified as a feed additive. We are working with big retailers. When they buy milk and meat from farmers, they may pay a premium, or those retailers may pay for the feed additives for the farmers to use.
Ethan: To learn more about Ermias Kebreab [air-MAY-us Keb-ROB] and his work at UC Davis, go to climatebreak.org, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ethan Elkind, and this was Climate Break.