this sounds like an Onion article... i wish it were

[raggedyanndy]

Tax cows, hogs for passing gas, burping?
EPA proposes doing so due to methane's impact as a greenhouse gasBelching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law

Comments

[layweed]

LOL. Even though there are people who say a sizeable chunk of greenhouse gases come from all the methane that livestock produce, I dunno if this is really the right way of handling things.

Maybe they'll tax beans next because they give people gas.

[ex_lost_kit]

I like the idea in principle, but those figures seem rather high.

[happycycling]

don't forget Michelle Bachmann!

[villainism]

This isn't the first time they've tried to pull this. I remember something very similar hapenning in the late 90s.

[ytterbius]

This is the Bush EPA trying to discredit action on Climate Change by pushing a ludicrous proposal. Sure, maybe livestock "emissions" are a part of the problem, but that doesn't mean they should be singled out in this way.

Under a future Climate Change program, they should (and likely will) recognize the problem, while letting the ranchers offset the emissions in some other way.