Scientists claim to have developed an inoculation to reduce methane emissions from farting and belching sheep and cows.

Phil Goff, New Zealand's trade minister, told an economic summit in Paris that a solution was in sight. "Our agricultural research organisation just last week was able to map the genome that causes methane in ruminant animals and we believe we can vaccinate against flatulent emissions," Mr Goff said.

Sheep, cattle, goats and deer produce large quantities of gas through belching and flatulence, as their multiple stomachs digest grass.Animals are responsible for about a quarter of the methane produced in Britain, but in countries with a large agricultural sector, the proportion is much higher.

The 45 million sheep and 10 million cattle in New Zealand burped and farted about 90% of that country's methane emissions, according to government figures.

Let me know when the human trials start...

Work was still needed on Rupert's carbon footprint.

The original was here.