Prince Charles Presents Innovative Design Award to mask for cows Creators

Prince Charles presented the awards to the winners of the Terra Carta Design Lab, which he created to reward designers who propose projects to tackle the climate crisis. First place went to the ZELP mask for cattle, according to the Daily Mail.

The mask is designed for zero-emission animal husbandry. Cattle are known to produce large amounts of methane, a warming greenhouse gas. At the same time, studies have shown that 95% of methane is emitted by cows during breathing and belching. The mask helps to neutralize methane, reducing its release by 53%: when the cow exhales, the methane passes through the catalyst, where it is oxidized and then exits as CO2 and water vapor. At the same time, according to the creators, the mask comfortably fits the head of the animal and does not interfere with his daily life: studies have shown that it does not affect the breathing or nutrition of cows and does not slow down milk production. The commercial production of the mask is planned next year.

PETA animal activists have criticized the Prince of Wales for encouraging the creators of the "inhumane" device. “It's like a cruel joke to force cows, who are already paying dearly for people's love of meat, to wear thick plastic masks”, - said PETA director Eliza Allen. “The Prince of Wales should be royally ashamed to award this medieval device instead of condemning it. Our future king should be involved in vegan farming initiatives that actually help the planet, animals and human arteries”.

The ZELP mask was one of four winning designs created by students and alumni of the Royal College of Art. Other winners include a device that collects rubber particles emitted by car tires, preventing them from escaping into the environment; chemical-free outdoor clothing textiles; aerodynamic seed pods made from food waste that deliver nutrients and seeds to soils depleted by human activity.