Mesozoic Warmth

[Griffin NoName]

Dinosaur flatulence caused climate change

[Aggie]

I want to see the full set of calculations.  I don't buy it, as compared to emissions from anaerobic decomposition in swampland. There was plenty of it then.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Dunno, sometimes you only need a push for a positive feedback (ie, more warmth helps create more swamps, etc).

[Swatopluk]

Given that modern bovines are a significant contributor through their methane production (less through farting than burping) it is not absurd to consider similar effects for the dinosaur age. There is research into a pill for ruminators that keeps the methane low.

[Sibling DavidH]

They should keep the cows in a fairly airtight barn, and fit an exhaust fan to channel the methane-rich atmosphere into the air intake of a boiler.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

It doesn't need to be airtight but you must have a collector on top, I saw a proposal for keeping the cows in something like a huge tent where the collector was on the apex (methane will rise naturally). Obviously it would prevent open air grass feeding/free range cattle.

[Sibling DavidH]

Obviously it would prevent open air grass feeding/free range cattle.

Put each cow in a kind of spacesuit, with a solar-powered compressor and a cylinder in a harness.

[Swatopluk]

But how shall the spacesuit wearing cow eat?
One would need a transparent tent that moves with it.
Or the whole range has to be 'tented'.

[Sibling DavidH]

But how shall the spacesuit wearing cow eat?

Its head sticks out of the suit, with a seal at the neck.

Yes, I know, much of the methane comes out as burps.  Still, you'd catch a lot.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

The mad scientist solution:

A bio-engineered bacteria that lives in the cows' gut-- it converts the methane into a solid hydro-carbon material that the cow can easily pass.   These "oil pellets" could then be picked up by a machine similar to what picks up golf balls at the golf driving range.

The bacteria, obviously, consumes some of the methane for it's energy use, but not all of it.

[Sibling DavidH]

Hey, to a non-scientist SF fan, that actually sounds as if it might be feasible. 

[pieces o nine]

Holy Bullsh*t Batman, there's marketing *gold* to be made from that idea!   

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

[Roland Deschain]

It's a funky idea, Bob, but it might just work. On the tent thingy, it would need to have a transparent top with water collectors. The water could be used to water the grass underneath, plus maybe a little more. Of course it would have to be a floating one, necessitating helium tanks with our current technology. It would follow the herd around the field while simultaneously keeping them hemmed in. They would be mostly free range, but the tent would need to be huge to accommodate a large herd.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Methane is slightly heavier than air-- so...

... what we could do?  Is seed the pasture with vacuum suction orifices, with methane detectors.   Not unlike a kinda reverse watering system-- most orifices would be closed, and only one or three would open, triggering the central vacuum motor to come on, drawing in the methane (mixed with air, of course).  Then you use a chemical absorber--something that binds to the methane molecules, for later extraction.

This could work, actually-- especially if you incorporate motion detectors too.    I'm sure there's some kind of methane absorbing chemical out there, that when heated a bit, would re-release the methane for processing. All kinds of organic molecules abound, one is likely to work.

The only thing I worry about?  Is if the process (energy) of drawing in the methane, and collecting it, would exceed the net energy gained by the methane itself...

.... what we really need?  Is methane absorbing bacteria/plants-- or better, a hybrid in the form of a grass (nutritious to cows, of course).  The cow releases the methane via either of the standard openings, which being heaver than air, sinks to the ground, where the grass draws it in, and utilizes the methane as an energy source (to make more grass-- what else?).    Neatly closing the circle, here.

It could work-- the grass would grow much faster than on plain sunlight, and you'd either let the cows eat it, or harvest it for hay (or both).