New Zealand is an extremely progressive and eco-friendly country; however, it's also a country where both sheep and cattle outnumber people. The government of New Zealand is considering taxing farming for the farts, burps, and waste that their farm animals are producing as they create planet-warming emissions as a byproduct of their digestion, which releases methane, a greenhouse gas.
Methane is one of the most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
"There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that," says James Shaw, New Zealand's climate change minister.
Methane is the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, and the bulk of methane emissions come from human activity.
According to the Associated Press, "Methane emitted by ruminant livestock accounts for about 5.5% of the greenhouse gases that come from human activity."
Additionally, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, the total greenhouse gas emissions from all livestock, including manure storage and transportation, accounts for 14.5% of all global emissions.
If this were to come to fruition, New Zealand's burp tax would only come into effect in 2025, and it would also provide farmers with subsidies to switch their livestock to a different diet that avoids creating greenhouse gases.
