Last week we looked at a pretty cool, high-tech way in which we might be able to fight one of the affects of climate change. So just to be different (we like to do that here), on this post, we’re, going low-tech. Yup, you heard it right, low-tech solutions against the mighty force of the global climate. And just how low are we willing to go? Well, we’re talking down in the dirt low here, and it’s not just us. The movers and shakers in the field of climate change science have been going low-tech as well. Will low-tech solutions stand a chance? Scientists seem to think so. And to put their test tubes where their mouths are, they’ve been conducting experiments on ways to reduce the production of greenhouse gases (gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global warming) in one of the most low-tech places you could imagine—in a field of cows!

What do cows have to do with climate change you ask? A lot, it turns out. Cows and certain other grass-eating farm animals, such as sheep, produce a special type of gas called methane. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. It heats up the planet 21 times better than carbon dioxide gas. How do cows and sheep emit methane? Well…let’s just say that there’s a whole lot of fartin’ going on! So much farting in fact that scientists estimate that these farm critters produce about 16% of the world’s methane.

To find a solution to this stinker of a problem, scientists have turned to another low-tech solution. One that our ancestors have used in the past to prevent everything from the common cold to unsuspected vampire attacks. Yup, we’re talking about garlic. This stinky plant has been used as human medicine throughout history, and now it might just cure a serious global problem as well. How does it work? Scientists have found that when garlic is added to cow and sheep fodder (food), the bacteria (single celled creatures that can only be seen with a microscope) that produce methane gas are killed. The end result is one sweet smelling cow and one happy planet.

And remember, you got it straight from the cow’s rear end!