The Patriot Post® · The Great Cow Flatulence Alarmism Shakedown

Denmark has become the first country to tax cow farts in the name of climate change. Predictably, there are climate cultists in the U.S. who think it is a good idea and that the federal government should adopt and impose a similar carbon tax on America’s farmers.

In its effort to lower the nation’s carbon emissions by some 70% by 2030, the Danish government will impose a carbon tax on farmers for the methane emissions from their livestock. The types of livestock included under the new carbon tax are cattle, sheep, and pigs.

According to data, an average cow produces six metric tons of methane gas annually. The carbon tax would impose a 300 kroner tax, equivalent to $43, on every metric ton of methane a farmer’s livestock produced by 2030. That rate would increase to 750 kroner ($108) per ton by 2035.

Denmark has a significant cattle and dairy industry. As of June 2022, Danish farmers owned 1,484,377 cows. Based on the above tax rate and given the country’s cow population, that would translate into farmers shelling out over $382 million in carbon tax for cows alone. And that total would grow to nearly $962 million by 2035.

In the name of fighting climate change, the Danish government is shaking down farmers to the tune of hundreds of millions. Of course, this will have absolutely no measurable effect on the global climate, but it will have a direct impact on Danish farmers’ bottom line and also on food prices for Danes.

Is it any wonder that farmers across Europe have been protesting?

Tellingly, what goes unsaid is exactly how charging farmers a livestock carbon tax will reduce emissions. The only way that this occurs is if farmers have far fewer cows, sheep, and pigs. That means that not only will Danes be paying higher prices for their food, but there will also be less meat and dairy for them to consume.

This is an example of why former Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore calls these climate cultists anti-human.

Having abundant, inexpensive food is a good thing. Famines have plagued humanity throughout the vast majority of history, and it has only really been in the 20th century that mankind has developed enough knowledge and technology to eradicate the problem of naturally caused famines effectively. Most of this progress is tied directly to fossil fuels because they provide abundant, inexpensive energy.

Thanks to fossil fuels, fewer people are abjectly poor worldwide, and fewer people are subject to food shortages and famines.

As noted above, targeting farmers with a livestock carbon tax is not really about climate change. It’s about increasing the monetary flow to the government so bureaucrats can exert ever more control over the populace. This is why the concept of a carbon tax is so popular with leftists in the U.S. They can claim it is needed to “fight climate change,” but the truth is that it’s yet another opportunity for the government to shake down yet another industry, painted with an altruistic veneer.