But there may be no need for all that, says Dr Lorraine Lillis of University College Dublin. She and her team of top Irish guff boffins have recently carried out a trial in which three cows were fed a special diet including fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and had their noxious bottomnal emissions sequestered for analysis.

The special fish-fuelled cow farts, according to Lillis, contained 21 per cent less methane than everyday bovine flatulence products.

"The fish oil affects the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen part of the cow's gut, leading to reduced emissions," said Lillis, speaking at a microbiology conference in Harrogate today.

"Understanding which microbial species are particularly influenced by changes in diet and relating them to methane production could bring about a more targeted approach to reducing methane emissions in animals."

However, simply using fish oil as in the trial might be a bit troublesome.

"Fish oil is expensive and difficult to get

Is fish oil the magic bullet for the scourge of civilization?

Irish ingenuity will get to the bottom of this problem