You may have noticed that we pass along a lot of observations about cows, red algae, and methane. The reason we do is that this is one of the most significant breakthroughs of our times in contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gasses. This is all well understood at this point by Algae Planet readers. Now we’d like to see this information inspire the agricultural world, where livestock farmers and ranchers can see the powerful opportunities in adjusting their feed programs. For a very small price, a major environmental result can be achieved.
This recent Inside Edition video illustrates that red algae has gone mainstream to become the heroes of the methane war. Around the world seaweed is being tested to see if it can make a difference in the methane gas let out by ruminants, the group of mammals that includes cattle, sheep, deer, and goats. (Giraffes too, but we’ll cut them some slack this time around.) Adding local seaweed to animal feed has already proved effective in Australia, where a 2020 study showed replacing 3% of a cow’s diet with a native Australian seaweed decreased the methane produced by 80%.
If you know a farmer or rancher, this is a good conversation to have with them. And pass along this video for a little more convincing evidence.
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