The education minister of Rajasthan recently made the absurd assertion that cows exhale oxygen. In truth, collecting “cow exhalation” in an oxygen cylinder and breathing it in would be as efficient a means of committing suicide as inhaling exhaust gases from a car. Cows exhale carbon dioxide like other mammals. Bovine species also contribute to global warming by emitting methane (via wind and burps).
Methane (CH4) is one of the multitude of gases that can be harmful. A cow’s methane emissions generate the equivalent of four tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. India has a huge livestock population
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper

