Life is Stranger than Farts

Our song "Termite Farts" (recorded on our Down to Earth CD) was based, believe it or not, mostly on scientific fact. The last verse was the major exception--or so we thought. So put away those pesticides, we've got a better plan We'll harness all the termite toots and put 'em in a can Trade fossil fuel for flatulence, make greenhouse gases pay Put a termite in your tank and fart around all day Imagine our amazement when we heard the following on the syndicated public radio program, "Pulse of the Planet": "It looks like the microbes that make their living in termite guts might be able to work on wood particles in ways that are beneficial to humans, too. . . . By studying the DNA of the gut microbes, [scientists] hope to discover how they produce hydrogen. One day, these odd-looking microbes found in the bellies of a very unpopular insect might provide the energy to power our cars - if not our homes." Life really is stranger than farts! (If you'd like to hear this song--and who wouldn't want to listen to a song about termite flatulence--just click on the music link. We've got lyrics and everything! And if you'd like to read the termite story quoted above, click here: Pulse of the Planet.)

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