12.7.2007 9:14 AM

Crikey! Could Kangaroos Save the Planet?

'Roo's Rare Enzyme Curbs Greenhouse Gases

The fight against global warming may eventually find its biggest ally in the stomach of kangaroos. After signing the Kyoto Protocol and leading the charge at Bali’s climate conference, Australia’s government could use new scientific findings as a Maximum Strength Gas-X for methane.

Australian scientists have recently isolated methane-mitigating microbes in the intestinal lining of kangaroos. If replicated in cattle, the bacteria could significantly reduce the emission of “cow-created” greenhouse gas, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The largest marsupial on the planet, the kangaroo is an Australian herbivore with large feet and a propensity for rough roots, shrubs, and grass. Despite a diet similar to cattle, however, kangaroos don’t partake in backdoor trumpeting — a popular pastime amongst the bovine.