VOA慢速英语--汉堡王推新款汉堡 使用减少甲烷排放的牛肉

The fast food company Burger King wants to change the way cows eat in an effort to limit climate change.

The restaurant chain said it is adding a different plant, called lemongrass, to the diet of cows that provide meat for the restaurant group.

The fast food chain announced the Reduced Methane¹ Emissions³ Beef Whopper on Tuesday. The hamburger is made with beef from cows that release less methane gas, the company says. The burgers will be available in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon for a limited time.

Burger King is also testing an advertising⁴ campaign that it hopes will persuade buyers that the company cares about the environment. The social media campaign includes a child dressed as a cowboy singing about cows and the environment. The campaign also uses terms some people consider vulgar⁵ to describe the release of methane gas.

The company best known for the Whopper hamburger worries the public may disapprove⁶ if it does nothing to fight climate change. A recent public opinion study by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests the company might be right. It found that two out of three Americans say corporations have a responsibility to fight climate change.

Burger King said Tuesday it believes that adding lemongrass to the cows' diet can reduce methane by about 33 percent.

Methane is a carbon-based gas that is released when organic material breaks down, such as during digestion⁷ inside animals. Scientists say cows release a lot of methane as they digest grass and other plant material. Methane is also considered a greenhouse gas, meaning it can trap heat in the atmosphere.

The Environmental Protection Agency says greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture made up just under 10 percent of total, U.S. emissions in 2018. Methane from cows made up about one fourth of that amount.

The Associated Press reports that Burger King worked with scientists at Mexico's Autonomous⁸ University of Mexico State and the University of California, Davis. The researchers added 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows' daily diets. In early tests, they said the addition caused the cows to release less methane.

Two years ago, competitor McDonald's said it was taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the time, the company said changes to the way it made Big Macs and Quarter Pounder hamburgers could cut emissions. McDonald's said the move would keep 150 million tons of methane out of the atmosphere by 2030.

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

Words in This Story

chain –n. a business with many different stores, restaurants or hotels, for example, that have a similar appearance and provide the same products or services

vulgar –adj. something that does not show good manners, good taste or good behavior

digestion –n. the process within the body that breaks down food into energy and needed substances

emission² –n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

1 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

2 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

3 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 vulgar   

adj.粗野的，下流的，庸俗的，粗俗的

参考例句：

• His language is a bit vulgar at times.他说话有时有点粗俗。
• His vulgar manners shocked everyone.他粗俗的举止使大家大为吃惊。

6 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

7 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。