Could masks for cow burps help with climate change?
What if you could vacuum up a cow’s every burp using a suggestive rubber mask? Say no more, says one British tech startup. Called Zelp, the company is in the process of developing a new product that straps on to a cow’s face, sucks up the methane that it emits, and converts it into less-harmful carbon dioxide. Zelp claims its product can cut methane emissions by one third, but don’t expect to deck your herds out with nose masks yet. First of all, Zelp’s prototype is currently too big for cows to wear. For another, the company’s claims haven’t been fact-checked. Finally, Zelp wants to charge $45 per year per cow for use of its product. Across thousands of livestock in a feedlot, that cost is more than likely to be prohibitive. Bloomberg has the story.
