California to Regulate Cow Farts, Causes Larger Greenhouse Effect Compared to CO2

In hopes of lessening the greenhouse effect, California has recently passed a bill that would limit emissions of black carbon and methane which have quite an impact on global warming. Surprisingly, the California law is putting a limit on pollutant emissions from livestock, specifically cow farts which are rich in methane.

Jerry Brown, Governor of California, had recently signed a bill which would limit the emissions of greenhouse gases. The new law implements strategies to cut emissions from organic waste, landfills, dairy, and livestock. The goal is to cut emissions of methane by up to 40 percent, anthropogenic black carbon by 50 percent compared to 2013 levels, and hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40 percent by the year 2020.

"Cutting black carbon and other super pollutants is the critical next step in our program to combat climate change," stated Brown in a statement after signing the law, Monday, adding, "This bill curbs these dangerous pollutants and thereby protects public health and slows climate change."

How would the new law hope to control emissions from livestock, particularly cow farts? This is where the Air Resources Board comes in where they aim to create a technology to reduce cow flatulence. Despite the law's good cause in reducing pollutant emissions which in turn would lessen the greenhouse effect, some advocacies are not too pleased with it.

"The law represents a direct assault on California's dairy industry and will hurt manufacturing by creating an arbitrary limit on natural gases which dissipate quickly," stated Tom Scott, the California director for the National Federation of Independent Business.

The strict regulations imposed by the law would hurt the business of agriculture. Even so, a compromise was negotiated between environmental groups and Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara. California's new law also hopes to increase composting, which would reduce organic waste. The law calls for a 50 percent boost within a span of four years.