Fart Tax

[Woodmonkey]

Estonian farmers face flatulence tax on cattle

TALLINN, May 8 (RIA Novosti) - Estonian farmers have received tax notices for methane emissions from their cattle, the country's opposition party, the People's Union of Estonia, said on Thursday.

Ruminants produce large quantities of methane gas through belching and flatulence when they digest grass, which accounts for about 15-25% of overall gas emissions, according to different estimates.

A single cow produces on average 350 liters of methane and 1,500 liters of carbon dioxide per day.

"For Copa-Cogeca, an organization that unites farmers of the European Union, the information received from Estonian farmers came as a huge surprise, and they could not recall a similar precedent in any EU country," said the party's spokesman, Jaanus Marrandi.

No other EU country imposes a flatulence tax on farmers.

A year after joining the Kyoto protocol, authorities in New Zealand proposed introducing a flatulence tax saying that New Zealand cattle are responsible for 90% of the country's methane emissions and 43% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Source

[Woodmonkey]

I understand that this dumb idea was first dreamed up in New Zealand a couple of years ago, but the farmers organized a group named Farmers Against Ridiculous Taxation (F.A.R.T.) and defeated it. I'll try to find some links to that.

[ollie]

I'm the Regional Environmental Manager for ISO 14001 for my company. This just gave me an idea to reduce our carbon footprint.

ollie

[leobold1]

Welcome to one of the predecessor to the Al Gore Global Tax to Fight Mythical Global Warming.

[Woodmonkey]

Can we be far behind?

[leobold1]

Since we didn't sign Kyoto (which lost 98-0 for ratification with Gore supporting non-ratification), I think we're farther behind that most other countries, but not too far.

[Chrisj]

Will you lot keep quiet, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling will tax anything so lets not give them any ideas.