正文

英研究：牲畜吃蒜减少打嗝可抑制全球变暖

2009-12-14来源:和谐英语

Feeding garlic and oats to belching cows could be the answer to slash global warming.

Welsh farmers will be asked to try out new diets on their livestock to cut the amount of methane their burping releases into the atmosphere.

It comes after scientists found mixing some unusual foods into cattle and sheep feed could cut the stinky emissions from animals by as much as a quarter.

Farm animals currently produce four per cent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, and it's thought the new diets could cut that to three per cent.

The research by Aberystwyth, Bangor and Reading universities involved measuring the amount of methane burped out by farm animals in specially designed polytunnels.

The teams tried out different diets while measuring gas coming from the animals' mouths into the air in the tunnels. They discovered the emissions could be reduced by a combination of different feedstuffs, special rations and additives.

Now it's hoped trials being held at Bangor could persuade farmers to change the source of their animals' diet.

Professor Jamie Newbold, of Aberystwyth, said the research looked 'promising'. But he admitted there could be side effects as scientists still work out how much of an effect the garlic extract has on the actual taste of beef and milk.

He hopes the climate change-busting diets could also improve profits for farmers as it's believed the new feeds could also improve beef production and boost milk yield.

Only around 20-25 per cent of the energy in livestock diets ends up in meat or milk, with the rest lost as urine, faeces and emissions.

Prof Newbold and his colleagues spent most of the summer on their research. They will now look into breeding new plants and feed with high sources of fat and sugar, as well as dietary additives such as garlic extract.

The professor said: “We are feeding them with new 'naked' husk-less oats which are high in fat and reduce the emissions. We're keeping Wales' reputation of producing natural products without chemical additives, and trying to improve the green credentials of the country. We are hoping to be partners with farmers.”
给母牛喂食大蒜和燕麦可以减少其打嗝，这或许会成为抑制全球变暖的一个新途径。

英国威尔士地区将要求农民尝试给牲口喂食新“配方”饲料，从而减少它们打嗝时释放到大气中的甲烷。

科学家发现，在牛羊饲料中加入一些不寻常的食物，可以将它们排放的废气减少四分之一。

目前，牲畜所排放的温室气体占世界温室气体总排放量的4%，科学家认为这一新的饮食配方可将这一比例降至3%。

这项研究由阿伯里斯特威斯大学、班戈大学和瑞丁大学共同开展，研究人员对牲畜在特制的塑料大棚中打嗝时所排出的甲烷量进行了测算。

研究小组在测量过程中尝试了各种不同的食谱。他们发现在给牲畜喂食由饲料、特别配料和添加物调配而成的食物后，它们排放的温室气体会减少。

现在科学家们希望在班戈大学开展的试验可以说服农民改善牲畜的饮食结构。

阿伯里斯特威斯大学的杰米．纽伯尔德教授说，这一研究“很有前途”。但他坦称这一方案会有一些副作用，目前科学家们仍在研究大蒜提取物对牛肉和牛奶的味道会产生多大影响。

他希望，这一应对气候变化的食谱同时能够给农民带来更多收益，据称这种新的饲料配方还能够增加牛肉和牛奶产量。

牲畜饲料中只有约20%到25%的能量可转化为肉或奶，其余的部分都变成了尿液、粪便和废气。

纽伯尔德教授和他的同事今年夏天的大部分时间都在做这项研究。除研制大蒜提取物等饲料添加物外，现在他们正准备培育新品种植物以及高脂、高糖分饲料。

纽伯尔教授说：“我们用新的去壳‘裸’麦喂养牲畜，裸麦脂肪含量高，牲畜食用后排放的废气会减少。我们会维护威尔士生产无化学添加剂天然产品的声誉，并将努力提高本国的绿色信用。我们希望能成为农民的合作伙伴。”

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