Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Producer

New Zealand’s climate fight includes taxing cattle urine, burps

Oct 12, 2022

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Social Media Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer)

New Zealand has long committed itself as a world leader in the fight against climate change. Now the nation plans to take its efforts a step further with a new tax on burps from cattle.

On Tuesday, the country introduced a controversial greenhouse emissions plan to tax farm animal burps and pee to reduce greenhouse gasses. Cattle urine produces nitrous oxide, and their burps release methane into the atmosphere. Both collectively account for about half of New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions. The proposed plan would incentivize farmers to use newer technology to curb livestock emissions and tax them if they do not comply. It’s a move aimed at achieving the country’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Meanwhile, in the United States, livestock are responsible for a significant fraction of methane emissions. Agriculture accounts for only 11% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

While cow burps haven’t necessarily been a target in America, the collective goal to reduce emissions is on the U.S. bucket list. President Biden signed an executive order in 2021 pledging carbon neutrality at the federal level by 2050. Twenty-one U.S. states and the District of Columbia have made similar pledges, according to the Clean Energy States Alliance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tags: Climate Change, New Zealand

MAHMOUD BENNETT: THE COUNTRY OF NEW ZEALAND IS KNOWN FOR HAVING MORE SHEEP AND COWS THAN IT DOES PEOPLE – IT’S ALSO KNOWN FOR BILLING ITSELF AS WORLD LEADER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

BUT THIS WEEK THERE’S AN INTERESTING PLOT TWIST YOU WON’T SOON FORGET

THE COUNTRY HAS INTRODUCED A PLAN TO TAX FARM ANIMALS BURPS AND PEE IN ORDER TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASSES

CATTLE URINE PRODUCES NITROUS OXIDE, WHILE THEIR BURPS RELEASE METHANE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE – BOTH COLLECTIVELY ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT HALF OF NEW ZEALAND’S GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS

THIS PLAN WOULD INCENTIVIZE FARMERS TO USE NEWER TECHNOLOGY TO CURB LIVESTOCK EMISSIONS AND TAX THEM IF THEY DON’T – IT’S A MOVE AIMED AT ACHIEVING NEW ZEALAND’S PLEDGE TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050

MEANWHILE IN THE UNITED STATES LIVESTOCK IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT FRACTION OF METHANE EMISSIONS THOUGH AS A WHOLE AGRICULTURE ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 11% OF U.S. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

AND WHILE COW BURPS HAVEN’T NECESSARILY BEEN A TARGET HERE – THE COLLECTIVE GOAL TO REDUCE EMISSIONS IS ON THE U.S. BUCKET LIST

PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN 2021 PLEDGING CARBON NEUTRALITY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BY 2050
– 21 U.S. STATES AND DC HAVE MADE