Posted on 07/16/2003 7:02:58 AM PDT by Valin
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Farmers are mailing parcels of sheep and cow manure to lawmakers to protest a so-called "flatulence" tax on greenhouse gas emissions from their flocks and herds, the New Zealand's postal service complained Tuesday.
The service said about 20 reeking packages and envelopes had been sent to the nation's Parliament and that the protest - dubbed the "Raise a Stink" campaign - was endangering the health of postal workers.
Farmers are angry that the government has levied the tax to raise 8 million New Zealand dollars (US$4.7 million) a year - about 300 New Zealand dollars (US$177) for average farms and ranches - for research into methane gas emissions from agricultural animals.
Millions of sheep, cattle and other animals that graze on New Zealand's lush farmlands are thought to produce 55 percent of the country's greenhouse gases.
New Zealand Post spokesman Ian Long said sending manure by the mail was a crime.
"Our main concern is for the health and safety of our people," said Long. "The police have told us that they will prosecute if they can prove wrongdoing."
Mail sorting workers were wearing protective gloves and placing suspect parcels into bags, he said.
Parliamentary security officials said some stained and damp mail items had been intercepted before they made it to government ministers.
Adam Fricker, editor of the Rural News newspaper which encouraged the protest, said farmers had taken "radical" action to get the ear of the government.
"Farmers feel marginalized. They don't have the voice in Parliament they once had ... to really get traction on an issue when a ridiculous tax like this is being foisted on them," he said.
Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said climate change from greenhouse gases "is the world's biggest environmental problem. We have to do something about it."
He said farmers could be "responsible guardians" of the environment and help generate new technology to deal with animal methane.
Dismissing the manure protest as "nonsense," Sutton said an alternative to the tax was for farmers pay emission levies like other industrial sectors. That would cost them tens of millions of dollars more a year.
Greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, are being blamed for a feared warming of the atmosphere.
Environmentalists fear it will cause havoc with global weather patterns and trigger sea level rises.
Algore would be very proud of the NZ government.
Exactly. Add the opresive fanaticism of the eco-wackos to the scary willingness of Clintoon to use disproportianate force against ordinary Americans and we see how lucky we were to keep wierd Al out of the Oval Office.
Should five per cent appear too small Be thankful I don't take it all Cos I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet
Taxman!
Cos I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
Don't ask me what I want it for (Aahh Mr. Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more (Aahh Mr. Heath)
Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me
Taxman!
The Beatles - Revolver
Bears repeating.
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