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US Ambassador Expresses Fondness for Jareesh, Plans to Explore Every Corner of Saudi Arabia

In his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney said he was keen on visiting all regions of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Bashir Saleh)
In his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney said he was keen on visiting all regions of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Bashir Saleh)
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US Ambassador Expresses Fondness for Jareesh, Plans to Explore Every Corner of Saudi Arabia

In his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney said he was keen on visiting all regions of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Bashir Saleh)
In his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney said he was keen on visiting all regions of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Bashir Saleh)

In addition to his official role as the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Michael Ratney has been actively exploring the Kingdom and learning more about its people and culture, which he regards as both unique and distinctive.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat at his residence in the diplomatic quarter of Riyadh, Ratney said that Saudis are some of the friendliest people he has encountered throughout his diplomatic career.

He added that during his time in the Kingdom, he has had the chance to visit various regions of the country and has been particularly struck by its diversity. This, he believes, challenges many of the preconceived notions people hold about Saudi Arabia.

The ambassador noted that no matter where he travels in Saudi Arabia, he interacts with Saudis from different walks of life and various parts of the country, which, in his view, contributes to the nation’s distinct character.

Hanging in the entry hall of his residence is a framed photo of the historic meeting between King Abdulaziz and US President Franklin Roosevelt on Feb. 14, 1945, aboard the USS Quincy. Right below the photograph is a model of the ship, symbolizing the strategic relationship that has developed between the two nations over the past eight decades.

During the interview, the ambassador also shared his fondness for Jareesh, a popular Saudi dish. Although he acknowledges that it may not be a common choice for many Americans, he admits it has become one of his favorites.

He also highlighted the variety of outstanding Saudi restaurants, both traditional and modern, where he often takes American visitors to introduce them to the flavors of a region unfamiliar to many.

Since his appointment around 15 months ago, Ratney has traveled extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, visiting cities and regions such as Jazan, Abha, Madinah, AlUla, Al-Hofuf, Dhahran, and Jeddah. Recently, he explored the northern part of the country and is planning to visit NEOM in the near future.

When discussing his reading habits, Ratney mentioned that he is currently reading a biography of King Abdulaziz, a book gifted to him, and that he had finished a novel about Syria. He typically reads several books at a time - both to learn more about the region where he is living and for the break it accords.

The diplomat also emphasized the importance of sports in his daily life, despite his busy schedule. He observed that Saudi Arabia now offers a wide range of exciting sporting events, many of which he never thought he would ever attend when he first arrived in the Kingdom.

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Varieties

Scientists Seek Miracle Pill to Stop Methane Cow Burps

A cow that's part of study on reducing methane emitted by cow burps stands in an exclosure at UC Davis in Davis, California on October 23, 2024. (AFP)
A cow that's part of study on reducing methane emitted by cow burps stands in an exclosure at UC Davis in Davis, California on October 23, 2024. (AFP)
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Scientists Seek Miracle Pill to Stop Methane Cow Burps

A cow that's part of study on reducing methane emitted by cow burps stands in an exclosure at UC Davis in Davis, California on October 23, 2024. (AFP)
A cow that's part of study on reducing methane emitted by cow burps stands in an exclosure at UC Davis in Davis, California on October 23, 2024. (AFP)

A scientist guides a long tube into the mouth and down to the stomach of Thing 1, a two-month-old calf that is part of a research project aiming to prevent cows from burping methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Paulo de Meo Filho, a postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis, is part of an ambitious experiment aiming to develop a pill to transform cow gut bacteria so it emits less or no methane.

While the fossil fuel industry and some natural sources emit methane, cattle farming has become a major climate concern due to the sheer volume of the cows' emissions.

"Almost half of the increase in (global) temperature that we've had so far, it's been because of methane," said Ermias Kebreab, an animal science professor at UC Davis.

Methane, the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, breaks down faster than CO2 but is more potent.

"Methane lives in the atmosphere for about 12 years" unlike carbon dioxide which persists for centuries, Kebreab said.

"If you start reducing methane now, we can actually see the effect on the temperature very quickly."

Filho uses the tube to extract liquid from Thing 1's rumen -- the first stomach compartment containing partially digested food.

Using the rumen liquid samples, the scientists are studying the microbes that convert hydrogen into methane, which is not digested by the cow but instead burped out.

A single cow will burp roughly 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of the gas annually.

- 'Social critters' -

Thing 1 and other calves receive a seaweed-supplemented diet to reduce methane production.

Scientists hope to achieve similar results by introducing genetically modified microbes that soak up hydrogen, starving methane-producing bacteria at the source.

However, the team proceeds cautiously.

"We can't just simply cut down methane production by removing" methane-making bacteria, as hydrogen could accumulate to the point of harming the animal, warned Matthias Hess, who runs the UC Davis lab.

"Microbes are kind of social critters. They really like to live together," he said.

"The way they interact and affect each other impacts the overall function of the ecosystem."

Hess's students test different formulas in bioreactors, vessels that reproduce microorganisms' living conditions in a stomach from movements to temperature.

- More productive cows -

The project is being carried out at UC Davis as well as UC Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI).

IGI scientists are trying to identify the right microbe -- the one they hope to genetically alter to supplant methane-producing microbes.

The modified microorganisms will then be tested at UC Davis in the lab and in the animals.

"Not only are we trying to reduce methane emissions, but you also increase the feed efficiency," said Kebreab.

"Hydrogen and methane, they are both energy, and so if you reduce that energy and redirect it to something else... we have a better productivity and lower emissions at the same time."

The ultimate goal is a single-dose treatment administered early in life, since most cattle graze freely and can't receive daily supplements.

The three research teams have been given $70 million and seven years to achieve a breakthrough.

Kebreab has long studied sustainable livestock practices and pushes back against calls to reduce meat consumption to save the planet.

While acknowledging this might work for healthy adults in developed nations, he pointed to countries like Indonesia, where the government is seeking to increase meat and dairy production because 20 percent of children under five suffer from stunted growth.

"We can't tell them to not eat meat," he said.