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A popular farm animal could be the key to helping cool the Earth

There are new efforts to control how much gas cows pass.
Credit: sara_winter - stock.adobe.com
Black and white cows in a grassy field on a bright and sunny day in The Netherlands.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Temperatures are rising worldwide, but now, a team of North Carolina researchers say a popular farm animal could be the key to helping cool the Earth.

Cows could help stop rising temperatures.

Let's connect the dots.

Since cows pass a good deal of gas, that means there's a lot of methane in the atmosphere. The chemical compound makes cattle the largest agricultural source of greenhouse gasses in the world.

But now, there are new efforts to control how much gas cows pass.

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Using patents from NC State University, researchers have found enzymes that could naturally prevent methane production in cattle, all while improving their gut health.

A startup is looking to give cows an enzyme-infused probiotic that eliminates methane and provides nutrients to cows -- but it's not a done deal quite yet.

The company at the center of the effort is looking to hire more help, and do more tests in the lab before it can all become a reality. 

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