Greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2007 in spite of attempts to lower them according to the NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read more about the different types of Greenhouse gases, where they come from, and how they effects the environment in our Greenhouse Gases FAQ.

Methane heats the planet 20 times more than carbon dioxide. A ruminant animal, an animal that digests it’s food many times, creates methane when it digests food in its rumen, the first stomach in a ruminant animal that acts as a holding chamber for food.

The rumen contains over 400 microbes that break down the food as it enters and some of the microbes specialize in producing methane. The key may be to just get rid of these particular microbes and replace them with ones that won’t produce methane.

Scientists at AgResearch in New Zealand are working on a solution. New Zealand is expecting a surge in it’s livestock demand in the coming years due to the increased need for meat and dairy products in China and the replacement of grazing land for ruminants in the US by bio-fuel crops.