Much to the chagrin of California tourism promoters, smog is likely one of the things you picture when you think about the city of Los Angeles. The haze of pollutants that often hangs over the city is more than just an eyesore; it’s a source of considerable respiratory stress. And where does that air pollution come from? Smokestacks, tailpipes, and cows. You read that right—cows. In fact, a new study estimates that cows contribute at least as much as automobiles.
Meet the Super Cow
Selective breeding has created some massively muscular cows.
This very moment, grazing in the fields of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology in Beijing, China is a particular heard of about 300 cows. Each one is a clone, and each one produces milk that contains proteins normally found in human milk. The cows are part of a vision belonging to Ning Li, SKYLAB’s director, to put “human-like milk” onto supermarket shelves–and into baby bottles–all over the world.
