Flatulent sheep cause global warming
Scientists in New Zealand are working to reduce the threat posed by one of the country's principle causes of global warming - flatulent sheep.
Methane - produced by sheep and cows breaking wind - is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
If boffins can stop its production in the animals, it could contribute significantly to slowing the greenhouse effect.
Scientists in New Zealand, where 43% of greenhouse gases come from this source, and France, where 15% of methane emissions are from cows, are working on the problem.
New Zealand has 40 million sheep and 10 milion cows, according to a report on the Wired News website.
The gas is produced by microbes in the animals' stomach and tests on sheep have so far shown that they could live without the microbes.
Lambs born and raised in a sterile environment, without the microbes, have grown heathily . Now scientists have to find a way of safely removing the microbes from farmed sheep.
As well as lowering greenhouse gases, researchers think removing the microbes could improve the performance of the animals. The methane produced is a loss of energy that could be directed into producing milk, wool or meat.
Get rid of those Microbes in Humans too
