I've complained before that Americans eat way too much meat. I'm not saying we should all run out and become vegetarians, mind you, but if we all had to hunt down, kill and butcher our own meals, I'm pretty sure most people's diets would migrate away from so many burgers and towards more broccoli, asparagus, apples and tofu. I know mine would.

And if we ate a healthier mix, our agricultural land could feed more people since, as I've said before, it takes several pounds of grain crops, and therefore more acreage, to produce one pound of meat. While we're at it, the reduction in the required number of methane belching cows would mean, among other things, a reduction in the number of cow farts wafting up into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Let's be honest, though: As long as juicy burgers are available at drive-through windows and slabs of beef come conveniently wrapped in Styrofoam and cellophane at the local market, changing people's eating habits enough to make a difference is a tough sell. So if, for the foreseeable future, cow farts remain a smelly fact of life, it'd be nice if we could at least put 'em to good use.

Yesterday, the EPA took a big step towards making that happen by releasing guidelines that can "help farmers manage livestock waste and boost farm earnings while reducing greenhouse gases." While the idea of converting livestock manure into biofuel isn't new, the EPA's guidelines should encourage more farmers to see manure as a secondary source of income, rather than merely something that needs to be disposed of.

The idea is as compelling as it is simple: Manure emits methane, which is among the most noxious of greenhouse gasses. Capture it and you cut down on climate change. So far, the EPA's voluntary methane capture program has been successful: In 2001, total U.S. methane emissions were 5% below emissions in 1990.

The new guidance helps take things a step further by helping farmers process manure into useful biogas. The biogas can then be used to produce electricity for the farm, or can be sold to a local utility company, providing farmers with an additional income stream.

More information on the "Methane to Markets" initiative can be found on the EPA's Website.