WELLINGTON, New Zealand, June 8 (UPI) -- New Zealand officials say they are aiming to reduce the level of methane gas emissions caused by the country's livestock.
Climate experts say New Zealand's 40 million sheep, 9 million dairy and beef cattle and at least a million farmed deer are largely to blame for the country's contribution to global warming, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
Prime Minister Helen Clark last year declared her intention of making New Zealand the first carbon-neutral nation in the world.
Some New Zealand farmers say they feel they're being targeted because of the country's lack of industrial pollution.
"There's no other country in the world that's so clean of chimney stacks that its animals are the biggest polluters," farmer Charlie Pedersen said.
A government plan to charge farmers who surpass federally regulated greenhouse gas limits has been met with strong resistance, the Times said.
