Political Flatulence

Ladies and Gentlemen, sometimes stuff that arrives in your inbox just beggars belief. Today I have such an example, and I feel that, as a public service I must tell you about it.
I bring you the,
"Written declaration on greenhouse gas emissions by the livestock sector"

Yes, they are trying to find a way to stop cows from farting. Romana Cizelj and Jan Christian Ehler. Dr Cizeli, I must tell you is a Nuclear Physicist by training so she really should know better. Dr Ehler is a businessman, he also should know better.
"Calls on the Commission to look again at the livestock question in direct connection with global warming and to take appropriate action";

And what do they propose the Commission should do about the key issue of cows farting? Buy up the Portuguese cork crop?

On a related subject, an academic based in Wagga Wagga, a Dr Friend has done some sterling work in this area. He has fitted cows up with nappies to discover whether they prefer to eat grass without cowpats or with cowpats. This publicly funded research has allowed him to discover fascinating and surprising stuff.
"One of the most important factors influencing the productivity of grazing animals is the amount of pasture they consume. Broadly speaking, the more a cow eats, the more milk it produces". Well bugger me.
Having fitted the cows with nappies he proceeded to put, "cow pats with monitors buried in them in strategic positions in fields that were otherwise free of dung".
So now we have RfiD enabled cow pats.
The cows however did not take kindly to indignity,
"We had a lot of trouble getting them to wear the bag," Dr Friend said. Only eight of the original 12 test cows were included in the experiment because of this difficulty.

The bags were also high-maintenance because they had to be emptied every three hours. "But the dairyman thought it was great, he didn't get crapped on," commented Dr Friend".
Your taxes at work.

Update
The Sun carried this in their inimitable style. I wonder how they came across it_