Copenhagen is offering a broad range of activities during COP15 – one of the more different ones is some education about the gases that ruminants emit.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ruminant livestock around the world produce about 80 million metric tons of methane each year and 20 percent of U.S. methane emissions. Methane gas is one of the worst greenhouse gases.

On Wednesday, a Copenhagen Nature School has decided to offer youths up to the age of 18 lectures in English about the effects of ruminants on the climate as part of Copenhagen Council’s climate, nature and environmental education programme during COP15.

“We take a closer look at the four stomachs of the cow and investigate how ruminants use bacteria to gain energy from the grass. Digesting the grass produces large amounts of methane – a greenhouse gas 21 times as powerfull as CO2,” the Kalvebod Naturskole says.

The programme, called 'Cows’ Farts and Climate Gas', will also be looking at ways to reduce methane emissions from cows.

(By Julian Isherwood, Politiken.dk, 15/12/2009)