According to the British newspaper The Guardian it is an amount of 12 million dollars. Gates would invest the money through his investment fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures. That fund also receives support from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Chinese businessman Jack Ma.
3400 liter benzine
The company Rumin8 from Perth, Australia, wants to add seaweed and other vegetable supplements to the feed that cows eat. These supplements would help break down the methane gas that cows release into the atmosphere when they burp.
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas. According to the newspaper, a cow can belch about 100 kilograms of methane into the atmosphere, which would be equivalent to burning more than 3,400 liters of gasoline.
The greenhouse gas is a major contributor to global warming. The fifteen largest meat and dairy companies in the world alone would produce more methane than large countries such as Russia, Canada and Australia, according to a study. research from the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy.
A billion cows
Many countries, including the European Union and America, have signed a treaty to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. But as meat consumption increases worldwide, a creative solution is needed to lower the impact of the approximately one billion cows on the world.
Adding seaweed to cow feed can reduce methane formation in their guts by more than 80 percent, study shows Research.
Rumin8 plans to use the cash injection to mass-produce and sell the product.
