Voices from Russia

Tallinn, 8 May 2008 (RIA-Novosti):

Estonian farmers received tax notices for methane emissions from their cattle, the country’s opposition party, the People’s Union of Estonia, said on Thursday. Ruminants produce large quantities of methane gas through belching and flatulence when they digest grass, which accounts for about 15 to 25 percent of overall gas emissions, according to different estimates. A single cow produces on average 350 litres (92 US gallons 76 Imperial gallons) of methane and 1,500 litres (396 US gallons 329 Imperial gallons) of carbon dioxide per day.

“For Copa-Cogeca, an organisation that unites farmers of the European Union, the information received from Estonian farmers came as a huge surprise, and they could not recall a similar precedent in any EU country”, said the party’s spokesman, Jaanus Marrandi. No other EU country imposes a flatulence tax on farmers. A year after joining the Kyoto protocol, authorities in New Zealand proposed introducing a flatulence tax, saying that New Zealand cattle are responsible for 90 percent of the country’s methane emissions and 43 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/world/20080508/106906451.html (in English)

Editor’s Note:

My, my, my… are they going to install meters on the cattle to measure “emissions” and charge the farmer accordingly? Why, in future, they shall forbid the sale of pickled eggs and beer in combination because of the increased level of human “emissions”. Ridiculous. I know how to cure the enthusiasm of “greenies” for such measures. We should issue them all wellies, rubber gauntlets, and shovels so that they can collect the “natural produce” from the byre so it can be “recycled” for further use. Meanwhile, the poor farmer can sit down and enjoy a cold brewsky or two at the end of a long day. I think THAT would cure the PETA busy-bodies, and right smartly!