AND NOW THE TRUTH - AT 10:55 A.M. ET:  Well, finally it's out there, for the world to see.  Many of us knew this, but were waiting for final, scientific confirmation before going public:  The real secret to saving the planet is...cows.

It was always the cows.  But our own bigotry and lack of cultural sensitivity made us blind to the reality.  Now, we've got to get past that dark period.  The truth hurts, as Fox reports:

The United States is counting on cows to help save the planet.

U.S. Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an agreement with the American dairy industry Tuesday to reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020, mostly by convincing farmers to capture the methane from cow manure that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere.

"This historic agreement, the first of its kind, will help us achieve the ambitious goal of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting farmers," Vilsack said at the U.N. climate talks. "(The) use of manure of technology is a win for everyone."

Agriculture accounts for about 7 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

The plan calls for persuading more American farmers to purchase an anaerobic digester, which essentially converts cow manure into electricity. The problem is that, so far, only 2 percent of U.S. dairy farmers are using the technology, mostly because it is too costly for family farmers.

Oh, but now the technology will spread.  And someday, when you see Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid on some device powered by electricity, you'll understand what's making their voices possible.

You know, historians tell us that Joe McCarthy was advised by his mentors to stop his Congressional hearings and spend his time advancing Wisconsin cows.  If he'd done that, Joe could've been president.  But he had that same demeaning attitude toward cows that the rest of us did, and he went down the wrong path.

It's time to thank a cow.  If a cow moos at you, just say, "Thanks Elsie, and thanks for my microwave oven and vacuum cleaner."

No glass of milk will ever taste the same.

December 16, 2009