Denmark taxes methane “emissions” from cows and pigs: if you believe the narrative, every burp brings us closer to the climate apocalypse. Is that true? Dr Martin Steiner analyses the background, dismantles the supposed methane threat and questions why farmers in Denmark are keeping remarkably quiet. He also reveals how the animal feed industry is already profiting from this madness – with unclear health consequences for animals and consumers.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, no, it’s not a joke, it really is true: the burping and farting of cows in Denmark is being taxed. The reasons for this are:
* the EU Climate Law 2021/1119 and
* the allegedly imminent climate catastrophe
This time it’s not aboutCO2, but about the supposedly much more “evil” methane (CH4).
But we are now taking a closer look:
- The farting and burping of cows and pigs in Denmark is “climate taxed”? Because of the methane?
- Why are Danish farmers not fighting back?
- How “climate-effective” is CH4 (methane) really?
- Why all this?
- What can we expect in the future?
Deutsche Welle (DW for short) is a state-funded German television broadcaster and a public international broadcaster financed by the German government. Nine months ago, it reported that Denmark was the first country in the world to introduce a tax on “climate-damaging” emissions from the agricultural industry.
Tax relief for farmers
Obviously all without resistance from the Danish farmers – why?
Well, obviously Denmark is actually one of the biggest pork and beef producers in Europe, so with little BBIO farming, but a lot of factory farming. I personally think factory farming is terrible. Friends of mine who like to eat meat usually make sure that the meat they consume comes from species-appropriate animal husbandry. But that’s another topic – I just want to point out that I’m not trying to defend terrible factory farming with this video/article, but that I want to look at these issues:
- Methane as a “climate killer” – is this the new scaremongering?
- CH4 taxation in Denmark
- Why don’t Danish farmers (want to) fight back?
- Why should other countries be mindful?
- What does physics have to say about this?
- Outlook for the future
After some research, I found this Spiegel article that sums up the circumstances – and the narrative – well: https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/klimaschutz-daenemark-besteuert-furzende-kuehe-und-schweine-a-62ca627e-2a47-4632-821a-e1a7395f5c0c
Denmark taxes farting cows and pigs
Denmark is one of the largest exporters of pork. However, methane emissions from livestock harm the climate. Now the Scandinavians want to be the first country in the world to tax flatulence.”
The climate narrative is presented here right at the beginning. We will take a closer look a little later to see whether this can be true at all. But now on to the Spiegel article:
“According to the agreement, methane emissions from animals are to be taxed at 300 kroner (the equivalent of 40.20 euros) per tonne of CO₂ equivalent from 2030. This amount is set to rise to up to 750 crowns (around 100 euros) by 2035. At the same time, considerable tax relief is planned for farmers. This will reduce the actual costs for them to 300 crowns per tonne of CO₂ equivalent from 2035.”
This explains why there is hardly any resistance from Danish farmers, as this cow-fart tax is linked to tax relief and subsidies for Danish farmers. I have learnt from insiders that although this “cow fart tax” looks like a disadvantage for Danish farmers, it is actually supposed to bring benefits for farmers through subsidies and tax relief.
Extension to the entire EU?
This explains the lack of resistance from Danish farmers – but what does this mean for other countries in Europe and for all of us?
Apparently, the EU is “testing” individual measures in various countries in order to then roll them out across the entire EU. In this context, I would like to refer to a quote from the former President of the EU Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker:
“We decide something, put it in the room and wait a while to see what happens. If there is no great outcry and no riots because most people don’t understand what has been decided, then we carry on – step by step, until there is no turning back.” – in Die Brüsseler Republik, Der Spiegel, 27 December 1999.
This is the potential danger I see here: that the Danish CH4 climate tax will then be rolled out to the other EU countries. Therefore: be and remain vigilant.
Methane as a dangerous greenhouse gas?
Finally, I would like to point out a huge piece of disinformation in this Spiegel article: According to it, methane is “many times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide and the second most abundant in the atmosphere“.
No, dear Spiegel journalist, methane (CH4) is not the second most common greenhouse gas in our atmosphere. The strongest and most dominant greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is water vapour (H2O). All other greenhouse gases are subordinate to it, followed byCO2 and O3 and then methane in fourth place – we will take a closer look at this later. But there can be no question of “second most common”!
At this point, I would like to return from possible political dangers to physical reality. Let’s take a closer look at the climate impact of CH4.
Here is the real effectiveness of CH4: shown in a graphic which was also published by the scientific service of the German Bundestag and which I have already shown several times.
Here is the already familiar graph of the absorption spectra of the various greenhouse gases. While the absorption bands ofCO2 are only partially superimposed with the bands of water vapour, the superimposition of the absorption band of methane with that of nitrogen oxides and water vapour is almost complete, as can be seen in the image above. The effect on re-radiation and a possible increase in the global average temperature is therefore only very slight.
The real effect of methane in reducing infrared radiation has actually already been measured and is visible. Note the small dip in infrared radiation (blue line) at about 7.7 micrometres – this is what can actually be seen/measured in the stratosphere using Sofia (SOFIA stands for theStratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy).
The so-called atmospheric window between 10 and 14 micrometres wavelength can also be seen very clearly. Here the Earth (without clouds and at night) can radiate heat towards space, which has led and will continue to lead to a stable climate over many millions of years.
The effective window (between 14 and 16 micrometres) in whichCO2developsitsabsorption and re-emission effect, together with water vapour, can also be seen.
The next redistribution scam
In summary, I can therefore summarise all the facts:
- “Much ado about nothing” (Nestroy quote)
- or also: “Another attempt to redistribute money and wealth away from all of us in favour of a very few.”
Finally, the current global situation of the CH4 content in our atmosphere:
As can be seen, a seasonal trend is also recognisable here and, above all, a levelling off of the increase in the years 1998 to 2008. A levelling off since 2022 can also be seen.
The reasons for this levelling off are not known – but just as theCO2 concentration has a correlation to the global average temperature, this also appears to be the case for CH4.
Please note: These NOAA graphs are scaled in ppb (parts per billion) – i.e. in millionths of a ppm (parts per million). This means that we currently have 1.93 ppm CH4 in our atmosphere (approx. 200 times less thanCO2)!
Sales strategy for questionable feed additive?
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to a highly interesting and current tkp article, which can also shed light on the question: “Why all this?” This article describes the effectiveness of the feed additive called “Bovaer“, which is mixed into the cattle’s feed and is then supposed to reduce the cattle’s methane emissions. This feed additive is said to be “safe and effective” and a significant innovation “in the fight against climate change”.
I found this “Press Release: https://our-company.dsm-firmenich.com/de-de/our-company/news/press-releases/legacy-archive/2022/dsm-receives-eu-approval-Bovaer.html
- “DSM receives groundbreaking EU market authorisation for its methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer®“
So:
- The US FDA and the European Commission have already authorised the drug
- It is “safe and effective”
But how safe is the product really?
The tkp article shows studies with worrying results:
Cows die with the wrong “dosage”
Further animal experiments showed liver and kidney damage
Hormonal disorders
Tumours
And what is the effect on humans?
DSM asserts: Bovaer degrades quickly and leaves no residue behind
Be “completely safe”
However, independent long-term studies are lacking…
What do the farmers say?
Authorisation is based on incomplete data
Some farmers believe that their cows become ill from consuming the additive
Or refuse to eat food with the additive …
Ladies and gentlemen – so much for the topics of methane, the tax on cow farts, the climate impact of CH₄ and what could be in store for us, namely
- Rolling out the cow fart methane tax to all other 27 EU member states
- The addition of a new, “safe and effective” feed additive
I have also explained the actual, “drastic” climate impact (or reflection effect) of methane (CH₄).
Dr Martin J.F. Steiner
Source: Report24
