No Kidding: Google Hires Goats to Mow, Fertilize Lawn

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]platypus[/nom]This is Al Gore's fault.[/citation]
Why did that bastard have to invent Global Warming? I say we kill him and the internet he created.

 

[ta152h]

A few things that are apparently lost on this. Goats produce methane. Methane is a way more powerful greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide. Goats also produce carbon dioxide from the grass, which would have otherwise have been converted to organic matter for dirt. So, the value of this is dubious.

Also, the Earth is actually very cold by normal standards. Everyone keeps talking about global warming, but even with it the Earth is relatively cool. I also haven't seen a study indicating the effects on plant life. Unless we keep knocking down forests and such, plants should benefit from the extra carbon, and can grow faster with it, providing a negative feedback mechanism. However, if we keep destroying their habitats, that complicates things. Methane, of course, is not used by plants though, so likely doesn't have a negative feedback loop. It's also responsible for about 25% of the global warming, despite being much less concentrated. It's just a much more effective greehouse gas.

 

[grieve]

Wouldn’t the cost (financial + pollution) of transporting the goats to and from Google be similar to running a lawn mower?

 

[Guest]

Also, concerning being green, how many trucks / trips did it take to get the goats there for a week? Seems like that would also offset the savings on not mowing.

 

[The Schnoz]

Google might look "green" by doing this, but that grass doesn't look green at all. Besides, how much carbon monoxide is produced from the flatulance of all these goats eating, pooping and farting.

 

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]ta152h[/nom]A few things that are apparently lost on this. Goats produce methane .... It's just a much more effective greehouse gas.[/citation]

Everyone +1 this man now.

[citation][nom]The Schnoz[/nom]Google might look "green" by doing this, but that grass doesn't look green at all. Besides, how much carbon monoxide is produced from the flatulance of all these goats eating, pooping and farting.[/citation]
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous odorless gas. Flatulence is methane, not carbon monoxide.

 

[Guest]

Each company should have a mascot that represents their users. Google can have tenacious goats and Microsoft can have a herd of sheep.

 

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]blazer_123[/nom]Each company should have a mascot that represents their users. Google can have tenacious goats and Apple can have a herd of "creative" sheep.[/citation]
Fixed.

 

[vest101]

ummm... to all you guys who are given crap about methane being far more efficient as a green house gas and saying this is just as bad or even worse than lawnmowers... lets not forget that these are RENTED goats. its not like they bred these animals for this purpose. their gonna fart and crap no matter where they are

 

[jeraldjunkmail]

RE:
Whats next..Dogs running wall street...

Nope, they leave that up to the pigs at the trough...

 

[falchard]

Yup goats aren't green, they are just old-school. Also goats can be nasty, I guess the smell from this heard of goats keeps media away from the building.

 

[Guest]

I heard Obama is investigating Google - apparently these are non-union goats and they are not getting the appropriate health care coverage and are not getting adequate work breaks. As a result the gov't will be taking a stake in Google and putting several folks on the board. The EU is also investigating as apparently the herder was given a 'rebate' and some EU goats which could have been flown over were unfairly competed against. Expect a large Google fine to be announced for this clearly anti-competitive behavior.

Seriously though - this is the insanity of the green movement. It is questionable whether this is actually a benefit to the environment (given transport as folks mentioned). I find it difficult to believe this is a net zero cost (especially when you consider lost job/wages and inevitable taxes on that wage)... so in the end there is a chance you have ended up with a more costly solution and a net zero (or worse) environmental impact, all in the name of "being green" and some PR that undoubtedly will lead CNN and NBC as they continue to pull the green wool over people's eyes.

 

[pharge]

[citation][nom]ehenry818[/nom]It's the new outsourcing...Whats next..Dogs running wall street...[/citation]

lol Wall street already has their own "monkey index" (http://www.investorhome.com/darts.htm)... they probably don't need any more animals.... 😉

 

[ailgatrat]

"All in all, the cost works out about the same as mowing and as Dan Hoffman, Director Real Estate and Workplace Services points out, goats are a lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers."

Google better hope that Dan Hoffman guy stays away from those goats! It may end up costing them more later on than they ever imagined! ROFL!

 

[mforce2]

The excrement can just serve as fertilizer if it's not in excess quantity. Goats will also eat a lot an anything so they're one of the best to mow the lawn. As for the methane produced and it being a greenhouse gas , well maybe but when you burn gasoline you're releasing far more than greenhouse gases.
Anyway I think they just wanted to do thing differently, it happens to me a lot too. Like when you can do things the usual way but that's so boring so why not try and do something cool...
Google wins again, MS wouldn't have ever thought of this. Well OK maybe they would have but only after thinking to open source Windows . That's why Google is where it is today because they know how to think out of the box. MS is a too rigid company and I'm sure they'll just keep using their mowers.

 

[fudgeboy]

[citation][nom]ehenry818[/nom]It's the new outsourcing...Whats next..Dogs running wall street...[/citation]

hmm.... its pretty well going to the dogs...

 

[bin1127]

1 week? they can just light the weed on fire like many places around the world do. maybe a forest will grow from it in 50 yrs.

 

[anamaniac]

[citation]as Dan Hoffman, Director Real Estate and Workplace Services points out, goats are a lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.[/citation]

I like the eat goats. They're tasty. Goes good with some spicy barbecue sauce, nothing sweet.
I had my neighbors cattle mow my lawn, and my neighbors 4x4 mow 6 inch treads in my lawn also... both cases aren't pretty. Can I has goats please?

 

[graviongr]

I knew someone who decided a goat would make a good pet. Their eyes are freaky as hell, they smell bad, have course "fur", have weird cloven feet that hurt when they stomp on you, poop constantly while walking or doing anything for that matter.

The thing seemed to produce more excrement than it would intake as food, and do it 5 minutes after eating.

It was kept in the house and literally ate holes through the drywall, yes... it ATE THE WALLS, ate the furniture, ate the phonebook, ate the toilet-paper, when people say goats eat anything, it's almost true.

Saying all that... I felt sorry to see it kicked out, goats are people too.

 

[theubersmurf]

win