Gassy Cows and Pigs To Face Carbon Tax in Denmark   

• In 2030, Denmark will start taxing farmers for the greenhouse gases produced by their various livestock, becoming the first country to do so. This tax targets the largest source of methane emissions, one of the most potent contributors to global warming. Danish farmers will be taxed $43 per ton of carbon dioxide in 2030 and $108 by 2035, though the income tax deduction means they would be paying $17.3 and $45, respectively. The increase in taxes will encourage the agricultural industry to find solutions to livestock emissions. While there are other sources of methane emissions, including landfills and oil and natural gas systems, livestock is responsible for about 32 percent or one-third of human-caused methane emissions. Of this percentage, roughly 90 percent comes from the livestock’s digestive system, the gas created during the fermentation process released as burps. Cows, in particular, are the worst offenders. The rest of the livestock methane originates from the manure. Although Denmark will be the first country to implement a tax on livestock emissions, it is not the first to attempt to do so. New Zealand initially planned to establish a similar law by 2025. However, protests from farmers and the government shifting from a center-left ruling bloc to a center-right one led to the country removing the legislation. Abi Raymaker For The Junior Times junior/1721865678/1613368089