Cow farts to blame

2005-08-03 14:05

Los Angeles - Air quality officials in the San Joaquin Valley are blaming blasts of digestive gases from cows as the cause of the worst smog levels in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.

The report quoted the officials as saying that the central California region's 2.5 million cows have a worse effect on smog than the cars, trucks and tractors that ply one of the most important farming regions in the country.

The cows produce almost 10 kilos of gas each year and pollution control officials are pushing the region's dairy farmers to install expensive pollution control technology in feedlots and waste lagoons, and to change the animals' diet so they produce less gas, the report said.

Debate over 'fart science'

Critics of the plan say it is based on "fart science" and are considering a lawsuit to block regulations based on the finding.

"Science is supposed to guide this regulation, not fairy dust," said Michael Marsh, of the Western dairyman's association. "It's impossible to capture emissions that scientists can't even detect."

But environmentalists argue strict regulations are long overdue in a region which saw the most violations of federal air standards in the country.

"This is not some arcane dispute about cow gases," said Brent Newell, an attorney for the Centre on Race, Poverty & the Environment.

"We are talking about a public health crisis. It's not funny to joke about cow burps and farts when one in six children in Fresno schools is carrying an inhaler." - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA