"Fartpacks" turn bovine barn burners into energy

Eric Koeppel |

What's sometimes silent, somewhat deadly and totally bad for the environment (hint: they're a major component of fresh Wisconsin air)? Yup, you guessed it … cow farts.

An article on outsideonline.com states that cow flatulence is "responsible for 25 percent of the methane produced on this planet" and according to FastCo.Exist, it accounts for "5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gasses in the world." That's why folks at Argentina's National Institute for Agricultural Technology have developed a genius solution to the dangers of bovine under thunder: the "fartpack."

Picture a clear balloon-like bag full of booty belches nestled on top of a cow's back with a tube connecting the pack to the animal's digestive system. That, my friend, is a "fartpack." Just one of these sleek new ass-flapper trappers is able to capture the nearly 300 liters of methane a cow produces each day with its trouser trumpet solos. But that's not all; this methane can then be used as an eco-friendly way to generate power. In fact, 300 liters of methane is enough to power one refrigerator for the entire day. Just imagine grabbing a nice cold batch of cheese curds and a glass of milk from your own refrigerator powered by cow cheesers? Ah, now we're in Wisconsin!