This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Remember when President Reagan blamed trees for air pollution? Well now the Japanese are blaming cows for global warming. Apparently, the methane emissions from burping cows account for 5% of all global greenhouse gases. Simple subtraction would seem to indicate that 95% of all global greenhouse gases, therefore, is produced by something other than dyspeptic cows. Human activity perhaps? Still Japanese scientists are working on a dietary supplement to reduce the methane in cow burps having concluded that a digestive aid for Bessie is the roundhouse punch in the fight against global warming. So, does TKO in this case stand for “technical knock out” or “That’s kinda out there.” Our vote goes with the latter.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.