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

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