New Zealand plans to put a price on sheep and cow burps (打嗝) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放). If the plan is passed, New Zealand will become the first country to tax (征税) farmers on each burp of their cattle, since the burps give out methane (甲烷) into the atmosphere.

“There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,” Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. It is reportedly responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. Moreover, cows are by far the biggest contributors. This is so because they produce 40% of global methane when they burp, fart (放屁) and produce waste. Also, methane is 80 times more warming than CO₂ although it’s shorter-lived in the atmosphere.

New Zealand, which has a population of five million people, has around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. “Almost half the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane,” the draft plan explained.

The “burp tax” is expected to take effect in 2025. Mr. Shaw wants farming to be more environmentally friendly. He also wants farmers to change the way they farm. He wants them to feed their animals on seaweed instead of grass. This will produce fewer emissions. Mr. Shaw also said farmers can reduce the tax they pay by planting more trees. Another suggestion is for cows to wear special masks.

New Zealand’s farmers support the government. They want to do their bit to help the environment.

All animals exist in a network, connected and supported by each other. That’s why our global focus today should be on saving animals from extinction. By doing so, we are certainly keeping an ecological balance. 【小题1】 .

Support companies that promote environmental protection

When shopping either from your local or online stores, go for those companies with eco- friendly things. Whether looking for shoes, toys, bags or others, you can choose reusable products. 【小题2】 .

Avoid harmful pesticides

Harmful pesticides have resulted in much animal loss. They might be good for killing pests. 【小题3】 . The chemicals enter into the soil and last a long time, thus endangering native wildlife species. Worse, they spread throughout the food, causing damage to other large animals.

【小题4】

Don’t buy things made of horns, ivory and others that endanger animals. This saves the animals and their habitats. Even when traveling, be careful when buying souvenirs. Some could have been made from endangered animal products like ivory. It’s important to research the product before you can make the decision to buy.

Drive carefully

This is one of the easiest things you can do to join in animal protection. 【小题5】 . This will help reduce the road danger to endangered wildlife. Reducing car speed can reduce the animal accidents as much as possible.

By becoming the first city in the nation to ban natural gas in new low-rise buildings and homes, Berkeley did something great in mid-July. It signaled the beginning of the end of the natural gas era.

California has set a climate mandate of 100% clean, renewable energy by 2045. It won’t reach that goal unless it gets rid of natural gas. Burning natural gas emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants. In many cities, including Berkeley, buildings are the second leading greenhouse gas-emitting sector, after transportation. Now that regulations aimed at the 2045 mandate are in place for cars, trucks and coal-fired power, natural gas has to be next.

The popular image of gas cooking and heating—clean, cheap and reliable, a “bridge fuel” from coal to renewables—needs to be changed. Natural gas has produced more greenhouse gas emissions overall in the US than coal since 2015. Now natural gas emissions from the state’s 12 million buildings account for 12% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

What’s more, natural gas is combustible, a common reason for fires and explosions. An underground gas pipe explosion in the Bay Area city in 2010 killed eight people and destroyed or damaged more than 100 homes. Gas leaks can cause not only indoor pollution but also deaths.

The case for making new buildings all-electric is overwhelming. It costs less to set up just one kind of energy—electricity—in new constructions, instead of laying gas pipes too. And the latest technologies work well: Electric heat pumps both cool and heat homes.

At least 50 other California cities will encourage all-electric new constructions in the coming months. They may not ban gas altogether in new constructions, but the aim is the same. The Berkeley measure is the beginning of an equally essential but more difficult task: re-equipping all existing buildings so that they, too, become all-electric.