New Zealand is proposing to tax the flatulence that is produced by farm animals. Farm animals in New Zealand account for 90% of methane emissions and 50% of the country’s greenhouse gases. New Zealand recently signed on with the Kyoto Protocol and is working to meet the requirements of it which includes reducing methane emissions. The money from the tax would go to fund research on agricultural emissions. New Zealand’s farmers are up in arms because they feel the tax is unfair. While reducing greenhouse gases is a serious issue, I do find some of this kind of funny. A flatulence tax is definitely something I haven’t heard of before. Oh what will they think of next?
Best thread title/OP poster handle combo ever!
What struck me, over and above the “Oh, grief, another tax??” reaction, was that the Herald rather euphemistically refers to it by the headline “Livestock burping”. How deeply quaint. The cause for much guffawing around the morning teas, I can tell you. 
I understand their concern, but I doubt the tax money is going to really solve anything. I’d be pretty upset, too, as a farmer. Now my product will have a cost that no one else will have, and I compete in a world market.
Feed the cattle balloons, so you can resell the gas.
Without opening the thread, my first thought was that this tax would hit your Mexican restaurants rather hard.
Well, at least we weren’t the first to consider such a “Fart Tax”. Queensland was worried.
Guess it crapped out, eh?
Thank you! I aim to please.
It is actually burping, not farting. The Master speaks.
Cool. The newspaper still got it wrong. then.