Inventor of the iPod Turns Cow Burps into Diamonds

American-Lebanese engineer and inventor, Tony Fadell, known for creating the iPod, has significantly contributed to identifying and reducing methane emissions in recent years. His focus is on how to convert methane gas produced by cow “burps and flatulence” into diamonds, according to “Metro.” It is well-known that fossil fuel fields are not the only source of methane gas. Cows, and more specifically their burps, and to a lesser extent their flatulence, also produce significant amounts of methane. Methane traps much more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Tony Fadell explains: “I have a company called Diamond Foundry that takes biogenic methane, either from the ground, manure, or animals, and converts it into diamonds using green energy, wind power, and solar power.” Like carbon dioxide, the methane molecule contains carbon, which the company extracts and crystallizes to form diamonds, currently used mainly in electronics. It is worth noting that although methane does not last in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, it is, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, 80 times more harmful over a 20-year period after its release.