California to Regulate Cow Farts
In a bid to fight global warming, California’s new law has farmers fuming
In an effort to tackle global warming, Governor Jerry Brown has given his signature to a legislation that will regulate the greenhouse gases emitted by livestock in farms.
Livestock are major sources of methane, a greenhouse gas that is a bigger contributor than carbon dioxide to trapping of heat within the earth’s surface. Methane is produced by farm animals when they belch, give out gas or make manure.
According to a report by Fox 5, the legislation was approved despite heavy criticism from farmers who claim that additional costs will affect their already declining businesses.
Paul Sousa, director of environmental services for Western United Dairymen said to Fox 5 News, “It just makes it more challenging. We’re continuing to lose dairies. Dairies are moving out of state to places where these costs don’t exist.”
The government has put side $50m to provide dairy farms with methane digesters, machines that can capture methane gas and convert it to electricity.
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