Why some people think California’s cow manure methane plan stinks
At a massive dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley, nearly 14,000 Holstein cows crane their necks through feeding stalls and gnaw leisurely on alfalfa. Meanwhile, close to their hooves, a sprinkler system activates and flushes the herd’s manure into nearby sewer grates. From there, the waste courses through a network of pipes and into an enormous lagoon covered by a thick vinyl tarp. This enclosed pool, which looks something like a giant whoopee cushion, is known as a digester, and it’s the cornerstone of California’s bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its $7.5-billion dairy industry. … But ammonia, by itself, is an issue. At high concentrations, it has the potential to shroud communities in a corrosive haze. It can foster more bacteria growth in waterways and result in large die-offs of fish. On land, it has the potential to alter soil chemistry and hinder the growth of trees and plants.
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