White House looks to regulate cow flatulence as part of climate agenda

As part of its plan to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the Obama administration is targeting the dairy industry to reduce methane emissions in their operations. This comes despite falling methane emission levels across the economy since 1990. The White House has proposed cutting methane emissions from the dairy industry by 25 percent by 2020. Although U.S. agriculture only accounts for about 9 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it makes up a sizeable portion of methane emissions — which is a very potent greenhouse gas...more

Released yesterday, the White House Fact Sheet has this to say about agriculture:



 Agriculture: In June, in partnership with the dairy industry, the USDA, EPA and DOE will jointly release a “Biogas Roadmap” outlining voluntary strategies to accelerate adoption of methane digesters and other cost-effective technologies to reduce U.S. dairy sector greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

I don't know about you, but I'll be sitting on the edge of my chair 'til June.  After all, I will soon have been around for 67 years and I've never seen a “Biogas Roadmap”.   Waiting another 60 days or so will be pure torture.  But wait, on April 7 is the EPA-sponsored AgSTAR 2014 National Workshop, titled "Navigating the Biogas Maze: Learning from the Leaders".  And here is your invitation:

AgSTAR invites you to attend the AgSTAR 2014 National Workshop on April 7 as part of BioCycle REFOR14 WEST in San Diego. Join us for this unique workshop focused solely on promoting anaerobic digestion in the agriculture sector! This one-day meeting will explore strategies used by the leaders of the agricultural biogas industry to overcome challenges and maximize opportunities facing today’s projects.

There are more details on the workshop here.  And most exciting of all is the screening of the film Cow Power, all put together by those Vermont Vaqueros!  It even includes the phrase "working landscapes"!  Here is the trailer for the film:

Wait 60 days for the Biogas Roadmap?  No sir. Cow Farts are our future, so see you in San Diego!