If dogs could speak...

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Hot topic
California's San Joaquin Valley, along with Houston and Los Angeles have had the three worst air pollution problems in the US for several years. This month, air quality officials finally determined that cows are the region's biggest source of pollutants. They estimated that each dairy cow releases 19.3 lbs of gases per year, adding up to higher total smog compounds from the 2.5 million cows in the valley than from cars or trucks or pesticides.

The values were measured in experiments conducted by scientists from the University of California, who housed cows in special tents called bio-bubbles, and used super-sensitive gas sensors to monitor emissions from the cows while they ate and afterwards. Even in the face of all that research, the findings were still challenged by representatives from the dairy industry, who argued that the analysis was based on total BS (the scientists do concede that point) and pointed out that it is better to be in an enclosed room with a ruminating cow than with a running truck (the scientists say it depends on whether it's before or after the cow emissions).

There are days when nothing seems to go right at work, but I am sure glad I am not a bovine scientist.