Friday, December 05, 2008

Gas Warfare!

The auto industry is in shambles. The price of gas is like a see saw; up and down, up and down. The green machine is trying to force the car manufacturers to build green cars that will run on battery power for maybe 40 miles at a crack. The tax payer is being asked to fork over billions for this effort. Never mind that no one will buy the cars anyway. At least not here in northern Idaho where pick ups are required equipment. And a forty mile drive may just get you to the grocery store before you'd have to recharge to return home. It needs a tad more study.

On the other hand, as is the way of the government, they are looking at charging farmers fees if they have gas producing animals! Okay, the technology for capturing gas from cows and pigs hasn't been perfected, but is it fair to fine those who raise them for a habit that comes naturally?

Yep. The Environmental Protection Agency officially states that greenhouse gases emitted by belching and flatulence is air pollution!
Here is the fee schedule: more than 25 dairy cows - $175 each; more than 50 beef cattle - $87.50/head; more than 200 hogs - $20 each.
That is estimated to cost a modest sized ranch upwards of $30,000 a year when they can barely buy food for the critters to begin with! Then there is worry that it might extend to chickens and other farm animals leading to our having to import them rather than raising them therefore putting another whole industry into more trouble than it already has and we already subsidize! Whew. That was a tough sentence to get out!

We best keep an eye on this or it could adversely affect we humans too. Not from a consumers point of view but from a consumption point of view. Think about how Uncle Charlie relaxes after too much Thanksgiving dinner? Think about what the boys around the TV emit after consuming too many beers while watching the big game!

It could turn ugly. They could charge me a fee for having Bacchus. He's been known to let loose on occasion. What about my fish? What's in those bubbles they blow?

Where will it stop? Where will it stop? As Kermit the Frog once said, "It isn't easy being green." Indeed. I'm turning green just thinking about it!

4 comments:

Word Tosser said...

Oh, for God's sake... this is so dumb... is this program run by idiots?
To say that the cows are at fault for warming weather is so ...well, you don't want me to use the word..
We have less cattle now than we have ever had. Why wasn't this a problem in the 1930's when ranches had 1000% more cattle?
And even if the USA goes green what about all those other countries who are doing as they want with their belching factory chimmey, and have for years...
And what about the latest report of the ice building up again?

Life is in circles.. has been for years...every 20 years or so things change..and then back again. charging for cow farts... give me a break!!! I know some husbands ...well, we won't go there...

Linda said...

Why can't everybody just do the sane thing? Somebody always takes things to the extreme.

Margie's Musings said...

If we're lucky, Obama will put a stop to that nonsence.

TropiGal said...

This one of the silliest ideas I've ever heard!