New Zealand taxing cattle urine, burps

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.

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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.

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