Attention livestock farmers! Be forewarned that there may be a tax imposed on your cows if they happen to pass gas. Yes, you read that correctly – cow farts could potentially cost you some extra cash.
This is after Denmark set the precedence! Starting 2030, farmers in the country will be hit with a flatulence tax to curb greenhouse gas emissions from their cows and pigs.
Under this new tax, farmers will be charged based on the emissions produced by their livestock. This means that every time a cow fart, it’s going to cost the farmer some serious cash.
Methane is the real culprit here, with dairy cattle being the main offenders as it contributes 96% of GHG for dairy cattle, of which approximately 88% of the emissions arise from enteric fermentation that is released into the atmosphere in the form of flatulence.
So next time you hear a cow pass gas, just remember – it’s not just a stinky situation, it’s a serious environmental issue, and the Danish hopes the new tax will cut down on cow farts and mitigate climate change, one flatulence tax at a time!
Other measures that will go alongside the tax is reduction of nitrogen pollution in an effort to restore the coasts, planting of 250,000 hectares of new forests, and restoration of 140,000 hectares of wetlands to natural habitat. All in the name of boosting carbon storage and saving the planet.
