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Something stinks in KIWI land!
Sniff...sniff. WHOA...did you have broccoli for dinner?
NZ farmers say "flatulence tax" plan stinks
WELLINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand farmers are
being asked to cough up NZ$8.4 million ($4.9 million) a year to
help reduce greenhouse effects caused by flatulence of their
millions of sheep and cattle -- and they say the plan stinks.
Last year New Zealand signed up to the Kyoto Protocol on
global warming and agreed to reduce production of greenhouse
gases which are suspected of being a major cause of climate
change.
Now the government plans to introduce a tax to help pay for
research into livestock emissions of methane and nitrous oxide,
which account for more than half of the country's greenhouse
gases.
But farmers argue that reducing greenhouse gas emissions
benefits everyone so the costs should be spread across all
taxpayers.
"This decision is yet another example of the government's
desire to act in the wider public interest but expecting rural
New Zealand to pay for its largesse," Federated Farmers
President Tom Lambie said.
Most of the livestock emissions come from the methane-rich
burps of cows and sheep.
On current livestock numbers of around 46 million sheep and
nine million cows, the levy will cost farmers around nine cents
a sheep a year, and around 72 cents per cow.
Deer and goats will also be taxed, but pigs and poultry --
paltry contributors to greenhouse emissions by comparison --
are exempted.
NZ farmers say "flatulence tax" plan stinks
WELLINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand farmers are
being asked to cough up NZ$8.4 million ($4.9 million) a year to
help reduce greenhouse effects caused by flatulence of their
millions of sheep and cattle -- and they say the plan stinks.
Last year New Zealand signed up to the Kyoto Protocol on
global warming and agreed to reduce production of greenhouse
gases which are suspected of being a major cause of climate
change.
Now the government plans to introduce a tax to help pay for
research into livestock emissions of methane and nitrous oxide,
which account for more than half of the country's greenhouse
gases.
But farmers argue that reducing greenhouse gas emissions
benefits everyone so the costs should be spread across all
taxpayers.
"This decision is yet another example of the government's
desire to act in the wider public interest but expecting rural
New Zealand to pay for its largesse," Federated Farmers
President Tom Lambie said.
Most of the livestock emissions come from the methane-rich
burps of cows and sheep.
On current livestock numbers of around 46 million sheep and
nine million cows, the levy will cost farmers around nine cents
a sheep a year, and around 72 cents per cow.
Deer and goats will also be taxed, but pigs and poultry --
paltry contributors to greenhouse emissions by comparison --
are exempted.
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