On Tuesday, the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, said that the government wants farmers to pay for their livestock’s emissions. She says the idea will help fight climate change.
With around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep, New Zealand is a major exporter of livestock and meat. Half of the country’s emissions come from agriculture. The emissions from livestock, called methane, are 80 times more harmful than CO2 (carbon dioxide).
In New Zealand, the government already taxes other industries to try to lower emissions, but it has always avoided agriculture. Ardern wants to be the first country in the world to tax emissions from agriculture. She says that it will benefit the farmers.
Farmers are concerned about the increased costs. Lobbyists and other groups that support farmers in New Zealand say that the proposed tax system is not fair. They also believe it will hurt small towns in the country.
However, the government does not want to hurt farmers. The plan is to use money that is collected from the tax to help farmers. Farmers will be offered new technology, research, and incentive money.
One dairy company is already trying new technology and researching how to reduce cow burps.
A decision about the new tax could be made in November this year.
VOCABULARY
- Fart – to release gas from the anus (butt); break wind
- Prime minister – the head or leader of an elected government
- Livestock – horses, cows, sheep, etc. kept or raised on a farm; farm animals
- Emissions – gas, heat or light that is released or sent out; often refers to pollution from burning fuel
- Climate change – the fast and dangerous change in weather happening around the world
- Cattle – cows; oxen on a farm; 🐄
- Sheep – 🐑
- Exporter – Someone that sends goods/products to a different country to sell
- Agriculture – the science or job of farming; the industry of growing food and raising animals for food
- Methane – a colorless, odorless flammable gas
- Harmful – damaging; hurtful; negative; bad for
- Tax – money that a government requires people or businesses to pay
- Industry – business field; area of work or business; type of business
- Avoid – stay away from; keep away
- Benefit – to get an advantage; to gain something positive; to have a good effect
- Concerned – worried; anxious; troubled; bothered
- Lobbyist – a person or company that tries to influence/change laws, regulations, or other government decisions and actions
- Propose – to suggest; to put forward; to recommend; to submit
- Collect – bring together; gather; take in
- Incentive – something that encourages or motivates a person to do something
- Reduce – to make less; make smaller; decrease; bring down; shrink
- Burp – to release gas from the mouth; belch
Original story from CNN below:
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