I REALLY DON"T GIVE A #%$!*

[Guest muddy]

I WONDER HOW MUCH THEY SPENT ON THIS BIT OF USEFUL RESEARCH?

What next: PUMP SPRAY SCENTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE ATHMOSPHERE

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, researchers say.

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence contains no methane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas.

While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries.

"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.

"And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent," he told AFP.

Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

"Not only would they not produce the methane, they would actually get something like 10 to 15 percent more energy out of the feed they are eating," said Klieve.

Even farmers who laugh at the idea of environmentally friendly kangaroo farts say that's nothing to joke about, particularly given the devastating drought Australia is suffering.

"In a tight year like a drought situation, 15 percent would be a considerable sum," said farmer Michael Mitton.

But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.

Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

The idea is controversial, but about 20 percent of health conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already.

"It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.

"It doesn't get drenched, it doesn't get vaccinated, it utilizes food right across the landscape, it moves around to where the food is good, so yes, it's a good food."

It might take a while for kangaroos to become popular barbecue fare, but with concern over global warming growing in the world's driest inhabited continent, Australians could soon be ready to try almost anything to cut emissions.

[grimlin]

Thanks,i really needed a good laugh. ;D

[luckyinkentucky]

I really don't see the point.  The Earth will outlast any of us humans, and we are worried about what we can do to "Save the Plant" instead of finding cures to diseases that affect us.   :

The Earth will heal itself and replenish long after we as a species are gone.    Trying to modify a species, in my opinion, is unethical.  What's next?  Are we going to modify human genes to weed out criminals and the mentally ill?  COme on.  This is getting ridiculous.

All we are doing is trying to change fate, and avoid the inevitable.  In the end we will be an extinct species, but Earth will survive.  

I think George Carlin said it best in his "Save the Planet" campaign video.  You can see it on Youtube, but I won't post it since it is "R - Rated".  

[FishTank]

I really don't see the point.  The Earth will outlast any of us humans, and we are worried about what we can do to "Save the Plant" instead of finding cures to diseases that affect us.    

I am sure the planet will out last us but will we be able to enjoy in the same way we do now.  I'd like to return to Florida someday and fish the same places I did as a kid, that are know contaminated with mercury.  I'm sure the world could do without a few cow farts as well and I think kangaroo meat is tasty  .

As far as finding cures for diseases, the earth is where science is looking first for cures, for all different types of diseases.  They don't synthisize a substacne with out a natural base first, just look at snake venom.

On thing though, I have always wonder how gets to do the dirty work on these sort of things.  Who sniffs the farts or milks the snake?  Crazy stuff.

[Cajun1977]

I really don't see the point. The Earth will outlast any of us humans, and we are worried about what we can do to "Save the Plant" instead of finding cures to diseases that affect us. :

the scientists researching the atmosphere are not the same scientist who research and develop medicines so they are doing their job. also where do you think medicines come from? a large amount of the plants in the rainforest provide us with our medicines.without them where will we be?

they talk someone into devenomizing the snake after they smell the cowfart ;D ;D

[roadwarrior]

a large amount of the plants in the rainforest provide us with our medicines.without them where will we be?

I have heard and read this statement often, but besides aspirin, what medicines come from plants or more specifically, the rainforest?

[Guest muddy]

they talk someone into devenomizing the snake after they smell the cowfart ;D ;D

BOUNCE WORTHY

[NaterD]

I actually had to go to a seminar a week ago by this guy whose renowned for his study on global warming (Dr. Greij) I think it was *spelling not sure.  Anyways  he gave some pretty solid proof that global warming is becoming a problem... one example i remember he gave was Polar Bear cubs not being able to swim back to the ice caps because the gap is getting so much larger... Just an interesting tid bit.  I think we need to consider these types of issues as they will not only affect "us" but the creatures we share the planet with and...hunt...fish and other things we love to do.  I'd like my kids to be able to do the same cool stuff.

To answer the question of what medicines come from plants:  

Morphine comes from poppies

Asprin comes from the bark of willow trees

digoxin comes from foxgloves

  "Some 120 prescription drugs sold worldwide today are derived directly from rainforest plants. And according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, more than two-thirds of all medicines found to have cancer-fighting properties come from rainforest plants. Examples abound. Ingredients obtained and synthesized from a now-extinct periwinkle plant found only in Madagascar (until deforestation wiped it out) have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent.

Some of the compounds in rainforest plants are also used to treat malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes, muscle tension, arthritis, glaucoma, dysentery and tuberculosis, among other health problems. And many commercially available anesthetics, enzymes, hormones, laxatives, cough mixtures, antibiotics and antiseptics are also derived from rainforest plants and herbs." (http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/rainforest_drug.htm)

[Micro]

a large amount of the plants in the rainforest provide us with our medicines.without them where will we be?

I have heard and read this statement often, but besides aspirin, what medicines come from plants or more specifically, the rainforest?

Just off the top of my head:

quinine - anti-malaria

opium - codine and morphine

aspirin - headaches, blood thinner

coca - novacaine

I'm sure there's many, many others.

Additonally, rainforest animals are chemical producers for medicine. A large percentage of stroke medication used to come from Malayan Pit Viper venom - a venomous snake native to the jungles of Malaysia. Thank this guy next time you survive, or know someone, who survives a stroke.

On the flip side, there are 15,798,567 things in the rainforest that can kill you.   > 8-)

[Cajun1977]

i may be wrong but i believe cattle is the number one cause for rain forest destruction. they bulldoze the land to raise cattle there for most of the fast food companies. i forget the number of acres lost per year but its alot, and thats even less trees to pull co2 from the air. and once the area has been used up they do it all over again. same thing with certain trees from the rainforest being cut illegally to sell for furniture and such.

[Murray]

i heard 20% of all greenshouse gasses in Tenn. come from roadwarriors house after he makes his secret chili recipe

[roadwarrior]

To answer the question of what medicines come from plants:

Morphine comes from poppies

Asprin comes from the bark of willow trees

digoxin comes from foxgloves

So "NONE" from the rainforest and just a generic "some components " in other drugs. Check the "source". It seems there might be an agenda attached. There is little (none) that is actually derived from the "rain forest".

As for "Artic Melting", isn't it odd that the media has paid little notice to the fact that this year the Antartic has experienced the thickest ice formation ever recorded? Hmm...The sun is (has been) going through it's hottest period in 8,000 years and NOW appears to be moving into a cooling period (no sunspots). Maybe instead of global warming, the next ICE Age is upon us!

p.s. Chili gas is GOOD GAS. That's what makes stars sparkle!

[Sam]

If man can cause global warming then why can't we cause global cooling?

It is a lot of BS as far as I am concerned with the crazies, lead by that big loser, Algore, causing most of the problem with their retoric that the media picks up and praises as gospel.

Go get 'em, Muddy!

[Catt]

Just off the top of my head:

quinine - anti-malaria

opium - codine and morphine

aspirin - headaches, blood thinner

coca - novacaine

None of these come from the rain forest, all can be grown in your back yard  

[Micro]

Just off the top of my head:

quinine - anti-malaria

opium - codine and morphine

aspirin - headaches, blood thinner

coca - novacaine

None of these come from the rain forest, all can be grown in your back yard

Well they come from plants, and if you planted them in the rainforest then they would be from the rainforest.  

Anyways, we must save the Rainforest - just to keep Al Gore's mouth shut.

[Guest muddy]

My idea and the post was the ridiculous folly of some of the research and the arrogance of mankind not to accept that we just like every other species on earth, will some day disapear

That go get em on the end Of Sam's post and some following remarks have some hoiw aligned me with an attack on a Nobel Prize's winners work, that I respect. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I am not going to waste time or energy arguing this point here. I do not have the knowledge, the desire or the need to gather all the info to form a decent idea of this topic. I just wanted to clear up that my post is in no way an attack on a Mr. Gore or his work

Thanks Muddy

PS   Pharmacogoncy( Hope I spelled that right) is the study of medicinially active substances in nature. There has been much research done in the RainForest ( Kind of the final frionteir) with very little returns , most of the larger pharmalogical companies have given up pouring much money into it.

[.ghoti.]

chilli gas may make the stars sparkle around your house, bu they've been known to remove wallpaper around mine.

[NaterD]

political agenda aside, i still plan on doing my part to keep this place up to shape for future generations.

[Guest muddy]

Agreed. It just seems more reasonable to look at what we do with our waste,emmissions and the ways industrialzation impacts the speeding up of the destructive process, rather than cow gas!

[FishTank]

Here is an article I found on medications from the rainforest plants.

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1007.htm

I checked couple of sources and it seems only 5% of the plants have been identified in the rainforest, let alone tested for medical properties.

As far as the ice sheets growing in the Antarctic.........

The Antarctic is one of the most extreme deserts on the planet. As it warms, we would expect it to receive more snow. But even a whopping warming of 20 degrees -- say, from -50 degrees C to -30 degrees C -- would still leave it below freezing, so the snow wouldn't melt. Thus, an increase in ice mass.

I don't think I will ever be visiting there but this makes sense. Maybe I will go salt water fishing in Glacier National Park.

http://nsidc.org/data/glacier_photo/special_high_res.html

[roadwarrior]

Always check the sources:

http://www.mongabay.com/contribute.htm

"The purpose of mongabay is to raise interest in environemntal issues..."

And of course, raise money for "the cause".

If there were really that much "potential" in the jungle, don't you think the drug companies would be doing everything possible to "exploit" the opportunity? All I every read in the media is about "greed, profit and conspiracy". I can't imagine these guys walking away from easy money, can you?

[FishTank]

I have to agree that organizations like Mongabay need money to exist and they are not the best example but they do research news and articles related to the environment. But don't environmental organizations such as one like this help us or do they hurt us? I can remember fishing for Brook Trout as kid in the Smokies and now isn't there a large enviromental effort going on in Tennessee and North Carolina to clean the waters that brook trout use too thrive in.

As far as medications go from the rainforest, I can only think of one drug that has a direct effect on my life that is supposed to be derived from the rainforest and it is Tamoxifen. It is used by women to slow breast cancer. I am not sure this is the gold mine most pharmacuetical companies are aiming for but it has helped a few women in my life.