Political freedom requires economic freedom, taught us Milton Friedman. You don't have the latter, don't expect the former.This gem from the Grumpy Economist who has a quick summary of some of the regulations coming our way. My favorite is from the administration's hit men, the EPA who are proposing a regulation on "Agricultural Methane". Yup cow farts.
Best solution is to do like the oil industry does and flare it off.
Around here if you're a farmer and you want a government subsidy for not growing anything, you have to disc your fields to prove that you're not. Otherwise it counts as pasture and you don't get paid. Last summer I can remember two days when it rained. Disk plus no rain = dust. Probably a big fine for that. You need to submit a plan to remediate the dust. I suggest hiring that fake Indian from Massachusetts to come out and do a rain dance.
RTWT. It's fascinating what can be done without a pesky congress full of partisan bickering.
2 comments:
I believe most of the methane from a cow comes from belching, as the gases are generated in the initial digestion, rather than later in the digestive process/gut.
And I still want someone to study whether more methane is generated by an acre of pasture that isn't grazed by a cow, or pasture that is grazed by a cow.
And if cow methane is so horrible, what about deer, bison, water buffalo -- does that mean we have to slaughter all grazing animals?
I think I read that less that three percent of the annual world production of methane comes from animals. Most comes from swamps, and no one is suggesting draining the swamps and wetlands and stagnant waters of the world.
I think there are some enormous reserves of methane frozen under the North Sea that have started boiling off -- that won't be stopping soon, and vastly overshadows anything American beef contribute.
I remember when the treehuggers were up in arms that methane from cows grazing on leased federal lands was the reason for the holes in the ozone layer, back in Bush Senior's day.
Cow methane is a fund raising gimmick, a way to keep the activists in the news and looking like they want to do something useful.
Since fraud is now socially acceptable as no one is being prosecuted for it, I will design a moderatly complicated and moderately expensive afterburner device for farm animals. The EPA will require it by decree, and the government will grant me a patent for it. They will also give me $50B to start up this new "green" business with the tacit understanding that 1% will be donated to the president's re-election kitty.
We build some in the old Abound facility, give ourselves obscene bonuses, declare bankruptcy, and retire to Belize.
The business plan for the new roaring '20's.
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