On Tuesday, the New Zealand government unveiled its controversial plan to tax farm animal burps and farts to combat climate change..Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the “levy would be the first of its kind in the world.”.New Zealand has 6.2 million cows and they're the biggest environmental problem with their gas emissions..Farmers will have to pay for the gas emissions of their farm animals, including methane gas from burps and farts, and the nitrous oxide in the urine.. Diary cow .Ardern advised farmers to charge more for “climate-friendly” products to “recoup the cost.”.Ardern said the “pragmatic proposal” protects and enhances New Zealand’s “export brand” by making agricultural emissions more sustainable..The new tax will be introduced in three years and the government expects to sign off on the tax by next year..However, New Zealand has an election in 15 months and the proposal could cost Ardern rural votes as farmers opposed the planned tax..READ MORE NZ first to put a carbon tax on cow farts.Lobby group Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard said the “scheme would rip the guts out of small town New Zealand.”.One way to reduce the new tax is to grow more trees in fields currently being used to raise animals..Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chairman Andrew Morrison said the plan does not give farmers credit for what they already did to reduce greenhouse gases from their farms..“New Zealand farmers have more than 1.4 million hectares of native forest on their land, which is absorbing carbon,” said Morrison..“It’s only fair this is appropriately recognized in any framework from day one.”
