Do we really have to spend money to curb cow farts???

Don't we have better things to do with our money???

Britain's finest scientific minds have turned their attention to a problem that they claim is threatening the future of the entire planet - farm animal flatulence.

Experts at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen say the average cow contributes as much to global warming as a family car that travels 12,000 miles.

The scientists are now trying to produce new foodstuffs that result in livestock producing less methane.

Professor Harry McArdle, of the institute, said: "Cattle and agriculture can be a very serious contributor towards the problem."

Although vehicles produce a far larger volume of noxious gases, methane is 24 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

In total, methane is thought to contribute about 18 per cent towards the global warming effect.

The Rowett institute is leading a European project to develop a feed additive that can inhibit the production of the foul smelling gas.