Burger King has pledged to do its bit to combat global warming by attempting to reduce cow farts through dietary changes – but only for a limited time. The move was instantly mocked on social media as superficial pandering.
“Cow farts & burps are no laughing matter,” the restaurant chain tweeted on Tuesday, declaring that it will be changing its livestock’s diet “to reduce emissions” by around 33 percent. The company aims to achieve this target by adding some lemongrass to the animals’ menu.
The seriousness of the decision was perhaps undermined by the country music video accompanying the tweet, which featured children strutting out of a cow’s behind and singing about Burger King’s “mission.”
The company’s grand gesture is not all it seems, however. What remained unsaid in the commercial was the fact that the low-methane burgers are actually a limited time promotional offer – and are available only in certain restaurants in select cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
Many blasted Burger King’s efforts as hollow, disingenuous and not likely to make any difference. One suggested the burger chain should just “stop serving cow” full stop. Others felt the promotional offer was classic “virtue signalling” and deserving of a boycott.
Fernando Machado, the company’s chief marketing officer, said he was “really proud” of the eyebrow-raising commercial. Indeed, not everyone hated the idea. There were a few commenters who believed Burger King deserved “major props” for the move.
Then there were those who didn’t view the issue of cow flatulence as a problem at all and urged Burger King to just “leave the farts alone.”
Cow farts are responsible for more than fourteen percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.
That stat has prompted some US lawmakers, most notably New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to propose legislative measures to effectively regulate the gas-passing – yet, as with Burger King’s effort, the suggestion usually prompts predictable ridicule.
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