Sustainability In Your Ear: The MooBlue Team Keeps The Beef, Without The Burp

"Livestock are responsible for roughly 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and cattle alone account for about 65% of that sector's output. Most of it doesn't come from manure or land use - it comes from inside the cow. Approximately one billion cattle on the planet burp around 3.7 gigatons of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually, more than the aviation and shipping industries combined."

"A red seaweed called Asparagopsis taxiformis contains bromoform, a compound that blocks the enzymes used by methane-producing microbes in the rumen. A growing number of researchers and companies are focused on a deceptively simple approach: change what a cow eats."

"MooBlue proposes harvesting Asparagopsis from the Mediterranean, where it is an invasive species currently harming marine ecosystems, processing it into an oil-based feed additive and building a certification and labeling system so consumers can identify beef and dairy products raised using reduced-methane feeds."

Cattle represent a significant but overlooked climate problem, accounting for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions with cattle alone responsible for 65% of livestock emissions. The primary source is methane from cow digestion rather than manure or land use, with one billion cattle producing 3.7 gigatons of CO₂-equivalent annually—exceeding aviation and shipping combined. Researchers and companies are exploring dietary solutions, particularly red seaweed containing bromoform that blocks methane-producing enzymes. High school students founded MooBlue, proposing to harvest invasive Asparagopsis from the Mediterranean, process it into feed additives, and create certification systems for reduced-methane beef and dairy products.

Read at Earth911