MIT Technology Review is reporting that California's climate policies, particularly a program incentivizing cattle farmers to convert methane from manure into natural gas, are facing scrutiny. It said the system, which has become popular due to lucrative subsidies, is seen by a growing body of research as an example of shortcomings in current climate action approaches. The publication explained that California's regulations require the transportation fuels industry to lower carbon dioxide levels or purchase credits from other parties, including cattle farmers. Dairies can install anaerobic digesters to capture methane from manure, convert it into natural gas, and sell Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits to petroleum companies. While burning biogas still releases carbon dioxide, the program aims to reduce market demand for extracted natural gas and avoid methane release, a potent greenhouse gas. MIT Technology Review highlighted a problem with the state's carbon accounting. California assumes methane has 25 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. However, it noted that methane breaks down quickly within decades, while carbon dioxide accumulates and warms the planet for hundreds to thousands of years. The publication stated that this effectively creates a system that reduces short-term warming at the cost of increasing long-term warming. Despite these concerns, California regulators decided in 2024 to extend parts of the program beyond 2050. A recent proposal by the state’s air resources board could also provide millions of additional dollars to dairy farmers while easing restrictions on major greenhouse-gas producers. The publication concluded that all sectors need to directly cut pollution, rather than relying on complex offsetting schemes, to keep global temperatures within safe levels.
Full Article: Why California’s carbon manure math doesn’t add up