Bloody Trees

I read this article on the BBC Website ages ago. Turns out that all those trees that we're busily replanting to counter deforestation are trying to kill us!

Plants revealed as methane source

Scientists in Germany have discovered that ordinary plants produce significant amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which helps trap the sun's energy in the atmosphere.

The findings, reported in the journal Nature, have been described as "startling", and may force a rethink of the role played by forests in holding back the pace of global warming.

Dr Keller said: "We know that when deforestation takes place we liberate large quantities of carbon dioxide, and indeed methane, into the atmosphere. We may be replacing that forest with vegetation which produces more methane.

Bit of a worry, huh? Later in the article, it says that the buggers are responsible for up to 30% of the world's methane emissions (the other 70% being mostly by me after a good curry).

Obviously though, we shouldn't get too upset by this, as the BBC points out in it's oh-so scientific conclusion:

"In fact, of course, trees are neither good nor bad."

So that's alright then.

On the plus side, our clever scientist friends are looking into ways to reduce the methane emissions of ruminants and the Oligosaccharide levels in various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae ... or in english, make cows fart less and remove the pongy bit of bean-related farts.

We live in amazing times.