Choosing kangaroo rather than beef may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Choosing kangaroo rather than beef may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

What’s the difference between herding cats and herding kangaroos?

Both will try your patience. Both require advanced cowboy skills. The difference: Kangaroo herding is a reality.

About four years ago I first told you about the nutrition benefits of kangaroo meat. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t alter your diet to include kangaroo once or twice a week – I didn’t either.

But if we had, we’d be enjoying meat that’s quite rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA – the fatty acid that’s been shown to aid in glucose and insulin management) as well as zinc, iron, and protein.

And now there’s another good reason to choose roo instead of beef: flatulence. (Not yours – the kangaroos’ and the cows’.)

Dr. George Wilson of the Australian Wildlife Services and Greenpeace have teamed up to encourage Australians to make the switch to kangaroo meat. They hope that by 2020, millions of heads of cattle will be replaced by millions of kangaroos. Why? Because when cows and sheep burp and break wind, methane gas is released in large quantities. Kangaroos release almost none of the gas.

In a recent report, Dr. Wilson states that if Australia’s cattle herd is cut by just 20 percent, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 15 megatons.

The drawback: Australians tend to have a soft spot for the iconic animal that appears on the country’s coins and coat of arms. But while they might have a tough time making the transition, other countries are quickly adapting. According to a Daily Mail report, many Europeans have no problem scarfing down kangaroo. And Russians already consume more roo meat than Australians.

So someday soon, when you spot a package of kangaroo steak at your local grocery, here’s a tip: Check to see if it’s Western Grey kangaroo meat. Nutritionists report that it has a much higher CLA content than red kangaroo or Eastern Grey kangaroo.

Source:
“Eat Kangaroo for a Greener Future” Daily Mail, 8/20/08, dailymail.co.uk