California governor backs rules on cow, landfill emissions

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation that regulates emissions from dairy cows and landfills for the first time as California broadens its efforts to fight climate change beyond carbon-based greenhouse gases.

Brown's move Monday targets a category of gases known as short-lived climate pollutants, which have an outsize effect on global warming despite their relatively short life in the atmosphere.

Environmentalists hope that tackling short-lived pollutants such as methane now would buy time to develop new and more affordable technology to reduce carbon emissions.

The legislation lays out steep reductions in a variety of pollutants, including methane. It's tied to $90 million in funding for the dairy industry and garbage collectors.

Republicans say the regulations will hurt agricultural businesses, despite concessions made to dairy farmers.