Planting A Big One

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”

With lots of farting, apparently. It turns out that green plants fart. A lot.

That according to research conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, in Heidelberg, Germany. Scientists were shocked to discover that plants worldwide dispense up to 236 million tons of methane into the atmosphere every year.

For generations, scientists thought that trees and plants—flora in general—were good for the environment, because they consume harmful carbon dioxide (CO2), and emit life-giving oxygen (O2).

But now it’s clear that plants produce methane, and put the “green” into greenhouse gases. Indeed, the Planck Institute’s research rattles recent international agreements that allow countries to offset greenhouse gas emissions by planting trees as credits.

Now those calculations must be completely rethought to factor in plant methane emissions. This shows how that even the most widely accepted, long-held principles can be overturned overnight.

In my world, where I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can help people who suffer with uncontrollable gas, this line of thinking leads me back to one of my core principles: Americans are the most over-medicated population, yet also the most chronically diseased.

Conventional thinking: Plants are good for the environment. New thinking: Plants are increasing greenhouse gasses, ands contributing to global warming. Conventional thinking: take medications for stomach upset, gas, bloating, heartburn, the runs, etc.

My thinking: Eat the right amounts of the right foods, and you won’t overtax your body or otherwise insult your gastrointestinal system—which leads to cramping, discomfort, and gas.

Time will prove me right.