In this first episode of the “Resolve to Solve with Miles O’Brien Podcast,” Elise and Miles talk about a surprising solution to methane emissions that come in the form of cow burps.
The solution? Seaweed in cow feed. The red seaweed Asparagopsus is rich in the chemical compound bromoform, and when ingested, can reduce the amount of methane created in the stomachs of cows and released into the environment via cow burps.
For every challenge, there are real people who are working hard to develop solutions, and that’s what “Resolve to Solve with Miles O’Brien” is all about. Miles takes this opportunity to recount his decades-long friendship with the innovator behind this solution, Joan Salwen. He shares the catalyst behind Joan’s work, that one event that sent her on this journey, proving the “unintended consequences of bright ideas.”
Elise asks about the obstacles keeping this solution from widespread implementation, and Miles explains the challenges regarding classification and FDA approvals in the United States. He encourages viewers to write to their representatives about the seaweed solution.
We’ll also hear direct reporting from Miles regarding his boots on the ground journalism in taste testing low-methane burgers and ice cream. Saving the environment doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor!
