Why California’s carbon manure math doesn’t add up

Something stinks in California’s climate policies. Years ago, the state set up a system that pays cattle farmers to turn the methane emitted from cattle manure into natural gas. It’s become wildly popular because the subsidies are extremely lucrative. But research suggests the program exposes the shortcomings of carbon offsetting and trading schemes. Instead of forcing industries to directly cut their pollution or pay for it as a cost of doing business, legislators have opted for incentives that swap climate responsibilities between parties and regions.

The system could ultimately lock in more warming. Read the full story on California’s dubious carbon calculations. This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.