June 30, 2022 (EIRNS) “The Nitrogen Bomb Explodes in The Netherlands” is the headline of the Belgian Gazet of Antwerp, referring to the social explosion underway against the Dutch government’s policy of drastically cutting agriculture—especially livestock—under the green excuse of cutting nitrogen emissions and run-off, to save the planet. This week so far, Dutch farmers have protested with putting hay bales on the highways, hosing manure on roadways, and letting cows loose at Parliament. Belgian farmers, too, like the Dutch, are persecuted for heresy by the Mother Earth Inquisition that has captured EU climate policy. Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued forth with a complaint against the farmers’ protests from the NATO Madrid Summit.
Nevertheless, the lawmakers and the Rutte government are going ahead with orders that all districts in Holland must say by year end, how they will cut agriculture to meet the goal of a 50% reduction in agriculture nitrogenous emissions by 2030. This was part of the Green Deal Farm-to-Fork EU policy issued in May, 2020, which absolutely will cut food for millions of people.
Farmers have essentially received a death sentence and are expected to march with docility to their auto-da-fé—but they are in an uproar. On June 22, between 40- and 60,000 farmers gathered in the center of the Netherlands to protest against the Dutch government’s nitrogen plan, targeted to comply with EU rules on reducing nitrogen pollution, which would require cuts of as much as 95% in emissions in some provinces, and force many farms to close. Farmers from Belgian Flanders also came, since they, too, have their backs against the wall.
The ruling coalition of the Dutch parliament wants to cut emissions of what they call pollutants, predominantly nitrogen oxide and ammonia, by 50% nationwide by 2030. Since fertilizer releases nitrogen oxide, and livestock urine and feces release ammonia—taking out of the equation various sophistical non-solutions—half of the nation’s farms will have to shut down; and food production will be cut in half.
No wonder that one week later, the farmers are back, slowing down traffic, demonstrating near the home of the “nitrogen minister"—the Nature Conservation and Nitrogen Policy Minister—hammering and kicking police cars, dismantling a police car blocking the tractors, and turning the tables on the police by spraying them with (ammonia-emitting) manure.
