Scientists strap plastic bags to cows to capture CH4

lorenzo · Fission Joined: Jan 01, 2005 Posts: 2210

Cow farts collected in plastic tanks for global warming study.

Video.

The numbers:

-Cows and similar ruminants are responsible for around 18% of global greenhouse gases, mainly methane.

-A single (dairy) cow, fed intensively, can produce between 500 and 700 liters of methane per day by burping and farting.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506120859.htm

-An ordinary grazing cow produces around 350 liters per day.

-Let's take an average of 400 liters per day for all ruminants on the planet.

-Times 365: that is between 146,000 liters per year per cow, or 146 cubic meters of CH4 (5,156 cubic ft).

-Times number of cows on the planet: 1.5 billion times 146 (5,156) = 219 trillion cubic meters (7,734 trillion cubic ft)!!!

Let's slash that in two, just because we can, also because bulls are not that productive, and because PO doomers might not like the fact that cows produce more methane than there is natural gas in Russia.

Ok, so lets keep the cow farts at a comfortable 100 trillion cubic meters per year (4000 trillion cubic feet).

Russia has proved natural gas reserves worth 47,5 trillion cubic meters.

Now we need to calculate the costs of plastic bags, tubes and suction pumps that have to be attached to all the cows of the planet. But I can imagine that the yearly methane harvest from a cow outstrips these costs.

There are probably a few practical problems that first need to be overcome to make direct cow gas harvesting possible.
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frankthetank

Bring a couple over to my house, we'll run a line from the furnace to the a$$ of that cow. Hot damn!

That has got to be the funniest picture i've seen in a long time...awesome.
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dukey · Fission Joined: Feb 20, 2005 Posts: 2063

this is just pathetic

CO2 isn't causing global warming anyway. Take Mars for example, it's temperature has risen by 0.5 degrees since 1970, similar to the amount the temp has risen on earth ? Was that your cow farting ? Lol i don't think so. The global warming BS is just a way for governments to get more and more control over us. Only a global government can offer a solution .. yeah right.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1720024.ece

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1971

Your tax money at work.
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Massive Human Dieoff must occur as a result of Peak Oil. Many more than half will die. It will occur everywhere, including where you live. If you fail to recognize this, then your odds of living move toward the "going to die" group.

Kingcoal

Actually, what they should do is collect all the bags and release the contents inside of the Capital Building with all the windows closed while Congress is in session. That would be a good use of tax dollars.
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"That's the problem with mercy, kid... It just ain't professional" - Fast Eddie, The Color of Money

Commanding_Heights · Heavy Crude Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 208

Snowrunner

My understanding that it's more the belching than the farting that releases all the nasty stuff (Methane) and that this is mainly caused by us feeding cows corn instead of grass....

So instead of trying to catch cow farts, why don't they just feed the cow what it is supposed to eat (grass) and see how much that reduces belching?

rdsaltpower · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 30, 2006 Posts: 119

ROFL! just when you thought you seen it all! wonder when the "human" version will be released? First models go to congress for gaurenteed good test results.

coyote

Hey Pops! Peak oil won't touch you - convert your tractor to natural gas and get some of those cow fart collectors and you're set!
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"If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst." — Thomas Hardy

coyote

Lorenzo, thanks for cheering me up.

I love how surprised the cow looks... Shocked

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"If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst." — Thomas Hardy

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 7738

I need one of those for my husband after a bean and chili bake off! Laughing

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1664

Haul the cow in the pickup and hook her up to the carburetor?
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Local fix-it guy..

cudabachi

Wasn't there a pic from the 2004 campaign with John Kerry wearing one of those?

AlexdeLarge

Help Wanted:

Bovine Methane Capture Engineer.
College degree a plus, but willl consider congressional tenure with hot air experience as equivalent. Competive salary in US denominated carbon credits.

Send Resume to:

The Algorical Institute for Advanced BS
1234 CheckOutMy Nobel Drive
Simpleton, TN 4321
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Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.

GASMON

Viisualisation of bovine gaseous energy capacity.

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Been there, Done that, Bought the tee-shirt