Burp control for a cooler planet

Short of using a cork, there have been few answers to how to control the methane emissions from cows, but there may be at least a partial answer.

Stonyfield Farm, a supplier of organic dairy products, says it is having success developing a "Greener Cow." The idea is to alter the bovines' diets to reduce their burps which would mean less methane and less global warming, they say.

The company began feeding cows diets high in natural omega-3 sources like flax last year at Vermont dairies that supply milk to it. This supposedly "re-balances" the cows' main stomachs resulting in not only less methane, as much as 18 percent less, but less saturated fat in their milk.

So the process is good for the planet and good for you. That's right, a win/win. We love win/wins. And if it keeps the EPA off your back, it's a win/win/win. Wow.

When dyin' ain't enough

Okay, I like to read the snarky comments on the Nutrition Action Healthletter put out by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. My favorite feature is the Right Stuff versus Food Porn that praises or shames food products or restaurant menu items.

Here's part of the description of Bertolli Oven Bake Meals. If you can't guess, it's the Porn side of the page.

"No more frozen dinners that you just pop in the microwave and eat. Now you get to use (and wash!) your own baking dish and sprinkle your own cheese. Odds are, you haven't had so much cooking fun since you baked a cake with the heat of a light bulb in your Easy-Bake Overn."

After an hour of baking, you end up with two servings that have 630 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and a lot of salt in each serving.

I get it, but inside the issue the drama is a tad much. Speaking about the "long shadow" of livestock, cue the scary Clint-Eastwood spaghetti-western music, the executive director of the center starts his column with this.

Citing a study released recently by the National Cancer Institute, Michael Jacobson says the more red and processed meat you eat, the greater the risk of dying. Not a new or particularly effective argument given the diet of a lot of people.

But wait, there's more. And I'm not talking shamwows. This is important.

"If avoiding an early death doesn't persuade you to eat much less (or no) beef and pork, you might be moved by the environmental consequences of raising cattle and hogs," Jacobson writes.

All the cow burps and farts, fertilizer and pesticide for livestock feed make this a big ole disaster, contributing 18 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions each year. I would like to see somebody prove it. And don't tell Oprah on me for saying that.

By the end of his column, Jacobson is asking for somebody to "please pass me a veggie burger." I can hear the sobs.

Get all the smog-spewing cars and trucks off the Houston Loop (now that's a scary place at rush hour), and I'll think about eating more chicken.

More sobs ensue.

Look what the wind blew in

It's the BBC in our 'hood.

They're taking a British look at Oldham County. The network came to see which way the wind blows in the Panhandle, making the point that support for the renewable energy source crosses political lines. It’s really more about the money. Yeah, there are a lot of landowners excited about getting turbines on their land and a lot of economic development people abuzz about support businesses for the industry setting up here.

And the counties and schools that depend on taxes for life are making deals left and right for tax abatements to get developers to plant turbines in their areas. Even forgiving taxes have made Oldham and its schools richer with payments in lieu of taxes from Edison Mission, a California energy giant operating in the county.

The BBC story focuses on the land, Mike Baca’s in particular. He’s got some of the Wildorado Wind Ranch on his place and couldn’t be happier.

Here’s an excerpt from Baca. He's the one with the poodle:
"From the porch of his ranch-house - Tuscan with a Texan twist - at the floor of a verdant canyon he can sip bourbon and watch the giant blades turning a perpetual profit.
"I like them. And I like the cheque that comes with them,’ he says. ‘I could do with a few more of them. We have to be concerned about what the world will be like for our grandchildren. If the turbines get noisy I can just switch on the fountain."

Oldham County Judge Donny Allred remains strong in his support of wind while awaiting the expansion of the wind ranch by Cielo Wind and Edison Mission. That will mean a whole lot more revenue for the wide-open county that has more cattle than people.

And that’s not a bad thing. I live there so I can testify. But it’s kind of funny to see the BBC cameraman’s fascination with cattle, down to the slightly snotty nose on one. Watch the video at the bottom of this post.

Another excerpt, this time from Allred:
"This is the most perfect marriage of two industries - wind and cattle ranching," he says. "They were made for each other."

You can barely see the turbine in the background in the photo at the left.