The study<\/a> comes just weeks after the Government announced that agriculture would continue to be exempt from paying for its emissions under the country\u2019s emissions trading scheme.<\/p>\n\n\u201cAgriculture is New Zealand\u2019s largest nitrous oxide polluter, yet the Government has done nothing to curb agricultural emissions.\u201d\u201d says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop <\/p>\n\n
Use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in industrial dairy has been a particular contributor to increased emissions in New Zealand in recent decades. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser has increased over 600% since 1990, and this has gone hand in hand with a doubling of dairy cow numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The study found that global nitrous oxide emissions increased substantially since 2009 and at a faster rate than was estimated by the IPCC. It states that to reduce nitrous oxide emissions \u201crequire(s) changes in the human diet and agricultural practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Study lead author Dr Rona Thompson, from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, said: \u201cOur results suggest that reducing nitrogen fertiliser use in regions where there is already a large nitrogen surplus, will result in larger than proportional reductions in N2<\/sub>O emissions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\u201cSynthetic fertiliser is spread onto dairy farms to grow too much grass for too many cows. It is fuelling industrial dairying, which is our country\u2019s biggest climate polluter,\u201d says Toop.<\/p>\n\n
According to the OECD, New Zealand has increased synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use more than any other OECD country since 1990. <\/sup>Nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture now make up around 10% of the country\u2019s gross emissions. <\/p>\n\n\u201cWe are in a climate emergency, forests are burning, sea levels are rising, people are dying. The Government must take action to phase-out synthetic fertiliser and cut cow numbers\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Synthetic fertiliser and intensive dairy are also major sources of pollution into waterways. Over half of NZ’s monitored rivers now have increasing levels of nitrogen pollution.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThere are many regenerative farmers already farming fewer cows without using synthetic fertiliser. It\u2019s time the Government supported the rest of NZ\u2019s farmers to follow suit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
ENDS
<\/p>\n\n
Contact: <\/p>\n\n
Gen Toop, Greenpeace sustainable agriculture campaigner: 021 316 840
<\/p>\n
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