[ti:Burger King Pushes ‘Reduced Methane’ Beef to Fight Climate Change] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.20]The fast food company Burger King wants to change the way cows eat [00:07.72]in an effort to limit climate change. [00:12.84]The restaurant chain said it is adding a different plant, called lemongrass, [00:20.60]to the diet of cows that provide meat for the restaurant group. [00:28.16]The fast food chain announced [00:30.80]the Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper on Tuesday. [00:37.76]The hamburger is made with beef from cows [00:41.88]that release less methane gas, the company says. [00:48.04]The burgers will be available in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, [00:55.32]Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon for a limited time. [01:03.08]Burger King is also testing an advertising campaign that it hopes [01:10.20]will persuade buyers that the company cares about the environment. [01:17.76]The social media campaign includes a child dressed as a cowboy [01:24.52]singing about cows and the environment. [01:29.72]The campaign also uses terms some people consider vulgar [01:35.96]to describe the release of methane gas. [01:41.60]The company best known for the Whopper hamburger [01:46.24]worries the public may disapprove [01:49.68]if it does nothing to fight climate change. [01:53.76]A recent public opinion study by the Associated Press-NORC [02:00.88]Center for Public Affairs Research suggests the company might be right. [02:08.76]It found that two out of three Americans say [02:13.52]corporations have a responsibility to fight climate change. [02:21.12]Burger King said Tuesday it believes that adding lemongrass [02:27.04]to the cows' diet can reduce methane by about 33 percent. [02:34.76]Methane is a carbon-based gas that is released [02:38.96]when organic material breaks down, such as during digestion inside animals. [02:47.88]Scientists say cows release a lot of methane [02:52.92]as they digest grass and other plant material. [02:58.16]Methane is also considered a greenhouse gas, [03:02.84]meaning it can trap heat in the atmosphere. [03:08.92]The Environmental Protection Agency says [03:12.80]greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture [03:16.92]made up just under 10 percent of total, U.S. emissions in 2018. [03:25.16]Methane from cows made up about one fourth of that amount. [03:32.48]The Associated Press reports that Burger King worked with scientists [03:39.20]at Mexico's Autonomous University of Mexico State [03:44.56]and the University of California, Davis. [03:50.08]The researchers added 100 grams of lemongrass leaves [03:56.08]to the cows' daily diets. [04:00.32]In early tests, they said the addition [04:04.16]caused the cows to release less methane. [04:08.52]Two years ago, competitor McDonald's said it was taking steps [04:15.84]to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [04:19.64]At the time, the company said changes to the way it made Big Macs [04:26.20]and Quarter Pounder hamburgers could cut emissions. [04:32.72]McDonald's said the move would keep [04:37.32]150 million tons of methane out of the atmosphere by 2030. [04:45.60]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. [04:49.36]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM