▁virus ▁works ▁much ▁faster ▁than ▁the ▁last ▁one , ▁expected ▁to ▁kill ▁rabb its ▁within ▁two ▁to ▁four ▁days ▁of ▁expos ure . ▁The ▁virus ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁debate ▁among ▁animal ▁rights ▁activ ists , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁in hum ane ▁manner ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁k ills ▁the ▁rabb its . ▁However , ▁far mers ▁un anim ously ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁very ▁grateful ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁virus . ▁ ▁Al most ▁half ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁climate ▁change ▁em issions ▁are ▁generated ▁by ▁green house ▁g ases , ▁mainly ▁m eth ane ▁and ▁nit r ous ▁ox ide , ▁which ▁come ▁from ▁far ming ▁and ▁agricult ure . ▁Organ isms ▁that ▁grow ▁inside ▁of ▁gra zing ▁animals ' ▁st om ach s ▁turn ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁grass ▁into ▁m eth ane . ▁The ▁increase ▁of ▁carbon ▁dio x ide ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁helps ▁the ▁plants ▁to ▁grow ▁faster , ▁but ▁the ▁long - term ▁effects ▁of ▁climate ▁change ▁threaten ▁far mers ▁with ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁of ▁more ▁frequent ▁and ▁severe ▁flo ods ▁and ▁dr ought s . ▁G row ers ▁of ▁ki w if ruit , ▁a ▁major ▁export ▁in ▁the ▁h ort icult ure ▁industry ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁have ▁experienced ▁difficulties ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁climate ▁change . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 s , ▁warm ▁winter s ▁did ▁not ▁provide ▁the ▁ade qu ate ▁cool ▁temper atures ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁flow ering ▁of ▁ki w if ruit , ▁and ▁this ▁resulted ▁in