Emissions: Could Methane Emissions Be “Parked” To Satisfy Farmers?
July 15th, 2010
The introduction of the ETS last week appeared relatively painless in political terms, but Govt MPs are still receiving the message it’s highly unpopular in their constituencies. Agriculture Minister David Carter told a seminar at Lincoln NZ would not proceed (with the inclusion of agriculture in 2015) if NZ is the only country taking agricultural emissions seriously. Given the Govt plans a review next year, some authorities are predicting a solution could be a decision to “park” the methane component of agricultural emissions. One expert says the only way to reduce methane is to have fewer animals which would reduce production. There is no exact science to measure methane emissions. The real target should be the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions from fertiliser and farm run-off, for which there are emerging tools capable of limiting their impact.
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Duncan Cotterill