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New Zealand Looks to Reduce Gas Emission from Farm Animals

时间:2022-11-28 00:34:45

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(单词翻译)

Scientists in New Zealand are looking for a way to stop cows from burping.

A burp is when an animal releases gas from its digestive system through its throat.

To some, a cow burp might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, cows outnumber people two to one. There are only five million people in New Zealand. The nation is home to 10 million cows and 26 million sheep.

Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat. Instead, they ferment1 it in multiple parts of their stomach. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process of getting that product comes at a high cost to the environment.

The cows produce methane2 gas. While the gas does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it has a much stronger effect on global warming.

The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows. They are considering changing the food the animals eat, putting a device on the cows that changes the methane into something safer, or even giving them a vaccine3.

There is also talk of feeding the cows a special red seaweed or giving them a food addition known as a probiotic, which would help them digest the grass.

The fight against methane is serious in New Zealand. The country promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the year 2050.

In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much gas. The farmers say they would lose money if the tax plan goes into effect.

Peter Janssen is one scientist working on a solution. He works for AgResearch, a company owned by the New Zealand government. Janssen said the microscopic4 organisms, or microbes, that live in the cows' stomachs and produce the methane do not actually help digestion5. The scientists believe anti-methane treatments would not hurt the cows or the quality of their meat or milk.

One idea is a vaccine that would reduce the number of microbes living in the cows. Another is an inhibitor, which would do the same thing. Janssen said both ideas, however, are several years away from being ready.

Another plan is to breed animals based on how much methane they produce. Some sheep and cows are tested in laboratories. The ones that produce less methane can then be used to breed more animals. The plan could reduce the amount of methane by 15 percent, scientists say.

One expert said New Zealand is making good progress in reducing emissions8 that way.

Sinead Leahy is the top science advisor9 at the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Center. She said the country has made "great progress" in breeding sheep that produce less gas.

Other scientists are working to change the animals' food. The problem with sheep and cows in New Zealand, however, is that they walk around outside and eat grass. It is hard to control their food compared to cows in other countries that come inside to eat. That means one food additive10 made by a company in the Netherlands is not as helpful in New Zealand.

So instead, scientists are trying to change the genetic11 makeup12 of the grass and other ground covering the animals eat while outside. A genetic change might reduce the compound in the grass that is hard to digest. The problem with that solution, however, is that New Zealand has strict rules on genetically13 modified crops. Those rules would need to be changed.

Another possibly easier idea comes from farmer Aidan Bichan. He runs Kaiwaiwai Dairies in the town of Featherston, outside of the capital of Wellington. He said he is working to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm.

"At a farm level, we've got to do our bit to help save the planet," Bichan said.

Words in This Story

digest –v. to change foods by a biological process into something that can be used by the body

ferment –v. to go through a chemical change that results in the production of alcohol

inhibit6 –v. to prevent something from happening

emission7 –n. something sent out or given off

additive –n. something, such as a chemical, added to something to improve it in a small way

modify –v. to change a small part of something without changing the whole thing

efficiency –n. the ability to do something without wasting unnecessary time or resources

bit –n. a small part or contribution to an activity or process


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1 ferment lgQzt     
vt.使发酵;n./vt.(使)激动,(使)动乱
参考例句:
  • Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久,就会发酵。
  • The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。
2 methane t1Eyx     
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。
3 vaccine Ki1wv     
n.牛痘苗,疫苗;adj.牛痘的,疫苗的
参考例句:
  • The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
  • She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。
4 microscopic nDrxq     
adj.微小的,细微的,极小的,显微的
参考例句:
  • It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
  • A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。
5 digestion il6zj     
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。
6 inhibit C7jxT     
vt.阻止,妨碍,抑制
参考例句:
  • Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
  • They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。
7 emission vjnz4     
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。
8 emissions 1a87f8769eb755734e056efecb5e2da9     
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。
9 advisor JKByk     
n.顾问,指导老师,劝告者
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。
10 additive BJFyM     
adj.附加的;n.添加剂
参考例句:
  • Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
  • Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。
11 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
12 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
13 genetically Lgixo     
adv.遗传上
参考例句:
  • All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
  • Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

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