City Council Bans Farting in Encinitas
The City Council has banned natural gas in Encinitas. The ban is not retroactive, so residents needn’t worry about past offenses.
Going forward, however, residents can expect to be monitored by the city’s crackerjack code enforcement department. Because Covid-19 and its variants are still a looming presence, the department will temporarily use Zoom to monitor residents and to issue warnings and citations.
The ban applies to silent but deadly farts as well as trumpet and tuba farts. Wet farts will be dealt with severely.
The Encinitas Grocers and Restaurateurs Council (EGRC) reported plunging sales of beans and chili. The economic damage has not yet been calculated.
Mayor Catherine Blakespear and Councilman Joe Mosca issued a joint statement to explain the farting-ban ordinance and its justification:
“We would like to begin by quoting Medical News Today, a noted authority: ‘Endogenous gas consists mainly of hydrogen and, for some people, methane. It can also contain small amounts of other gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, which make farts smell bad.’
“In the vernacular, farting is often called ‘blowing a raspberry.’ Whether cited in popular or scientific vocabulary, farts are offensive to victims while providing relief to practitioners.
"And as W. H. Auden said, ‘Most people enjoy the sight of their own handwriting as they enjoy the smell of their own farts.’
“However, the more important and overriding concerns are the motivating force behind the city ordinance. Those concerns are the offensive noise and odor of most farts, and their addition of methane and hydrogen sulfide to the atmosphere.
“While hydrogen sulfide is not a greenhouse gas, climate and environmental scientists are concerned about its levels in the atmosphere. Methane is widely known to be more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
“The ordinance banning farting is an important component of the city’s Climate Action Plan, which has CAP as its meaningful acronym.
“In closing, I will add a personal request: Please contribute to my campaign for state Senate in District 36 and vote for me in the June 2022 primary so I can advance to the November general election. Thank you.”
