Green Acres

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Green Acres
26
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 1:18am

The EPA wants to tax farmers for having livestock which emits greenhouse gases. This sounds good. However, we have 300+ million people who merrily exhale greenhouse gases all the time and don't pay a cent for it. Isn't it time to start charging people in the United States a breathing tax?

Shouldn't we all pay the IRS $175 a year per person for punishment due to our desire to breathe? Think of how much cleaner the environment will be once people start to realize how much greenhouse gas they emit.

Anyway the story is here - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_on_bi_ge/farm_scene_cow_tax_2

For farmers, this stinks: Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law.

Farmers so far are turning their noses up at the notion, which is one of several put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases emitted by belching and flatulence amounts to air pollution.

"This is one of the most ridiculous things the federal government has tried to do," said Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, an outspoken opponent of the proposal.

It would require farms or ranches with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs to pay an annual fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 for each hog.

The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-sized cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year. He said he has talked to a number of livestock owners about the proposals, and "all have said if the fees were carried out, it would bankrupt them."

Sparks said Wednesday he's worried the fee could be extended to chickens and other farm animals and cause more meat to be imported.

"We'll let other countries put food on our tables like they are putting gas in our cars. Other countries don't have the health standards we have," Sparks said.

EPA spokesman Nick Butterfield said the fee was proposed for farms with livestock operations that emit more than 100 tons of carbon emissions in a year and fall under federal Clean Air Act provisions.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-19-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 2:52am
The libs want to tax cow farts now? LOL! The fricken geniuses could cut down on half of our greenhouse gasses by just shutting up!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 5:15am

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, a Republican from Haleyville in northwest Alabama, said he has spoken with EPA officials and doesn't believe the cow tax is a serious proposal that will ever be adopted by the agency.


I wouldn't think it would be a "serious" proposal either.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 5:19am
"The libs want to tax cow farts now? LOL! The fricken geniuses could cut down on half of our greenhouse gasses by just shutting up!"

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-19-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 6:31am

>>> Ah, don't believe the "libs" are in charge of the EPA. Mr./Dr. Johnson the Administrator is a Bush appointee. You knew that, right?

Don't care about party...only a lib could take "global warming" seriously or believe that "cow farts" are a threat to the world.

>>> As far as the rest of your "thoughts," on cutting down half of the gasses, ever heard that expression "physician heal thyself"?

Sure...which is why I'm suggesting that the greatest source of hot air in the world...liberals...simply constrain itself.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 8:54am

"Don't care about party...only a lib could take "global warming" seriously or believe that "cow farts" are a threat to the world."


OMG, and you possibly voted for John McCain!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 12:10pm
If we harnessed all the gas spewing from the Republicans since November 4th -
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 12:17pm
Except I'm not sure it is 'gas' more like excess Co2 emissions!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-03-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 12:56pm
I agree, but the tone from some is more like H2-SO4
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2008
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 1:26pm
The libs want to tax cow farts now? LOL! The fricken geniuses could cut down on half of our greenhouse gasses by just shutting up!



Interesting observation - given the EPA is run by a Republican administration.


Nice try though.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-28-2004
In reply to: postreply
Sun, 12-07-2008 - 1:55pm
The internal workings of many government agencies are life long liberal

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