At first glance, it looked like the Burger King social media manager had gone off the rails and might soon be looking for a new gig.
“Breathe the farts of change,” read the chain’s Twitter post late Monday.
That was preceded by another cryptic one — “Who here likes grass?” — which prompted plenty of questions about whether the fast-food chain was talking about grass or, you know, grass.
Today, the cheeky postings were explained — by kids singing in a twangy country commercial. Burger King, they said, is taking on the very serious issue of methane gas and its impact on climate change by introducing a burger made from low-methane beef. This Whopper will make its debut at select restaurants in Los Angeles, Portland, Austin, Miami and New York. .
cow farts & burps are no laughing matter. they release methane, contributing to climate change. that’s why we’re working to change our cows’ diet by adding lemongrass to reduce their emissions by approximately 33%. learn about our ongoing study: https://t.co/kPCXpjfbGL #CowsMenu pic.twitter.com/DnmF8gVVL0
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) July 14, 2020
“Cow farts & burps are no laughing matter,” the company tweeted. “They release methane, contributing to climate change. That’s why we’re working to change our cows’ diet by adding lemongrass to reduce their emissions by approximately 33 percent.”
Yes, lemongrass. Scientists from UC-Davis and the Autonomous University at the State of Mexico worked with Burger King to determine that adding 100 grams of lemongrass to the cows’ daily diet reduced methane emissions by a third, the company said.
Until the Reduced Methane Whopper comes to the Bay Area, you can sing along with the kids:
“When cows fart and burp and splatter,
well it ain’t no laughing matter—
they’re releasing methane every time they do.
And that methane from their rear
goes up to the atmosphere
and pollutes our planet, warming me and you!
Yes! That methane that they pass
is a greenhouse gas
that’ll trap the sun’s heat n’ change our climate, too!”
