Opinion
22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 23, 2021
EDITORIAL GHG mitigation plan is needed
D
AIRYNZ’S call for regulations to be ready so greenhouse gas mitigations can hit the ground running is a good one. The path from idea to research, to testing, to commercialisation is a long one and no one needs red tape getting in the way of addressing emissions. New Zealand has had many successes when it comes to commercialising scientific breakthroughs over the years, but it still seems to be a bit hit-andmiss. With the world watching what we’re doing to improve farming sustainability, now’s not the time to hold up vital advancements with bureaucracy. That’s not to say every tool should be waved through the gate, however. The genetically modified ryegrass being trialled in the United States, for example, is caught up in a larger discussion about what the future of our primary industries will look like. And with good reason. We can’t afford to fix one problem by possibly creating another. But that doesn’t mean that where we can, we should identify any speed bumps there are in the path of the tools farmers will need and make sure they’re smoothed. The Government has set the rules for farming’s emissions reductions, and now it needs to do its part in helping that happen. Food producers are keen to play their part in ensuring the footprint they leave behind is palatable to both NZ and the consumers around the world who we rely on for export returns. But we need a fighting-fit regulatory system to give them the best chance of success. Technology isn’t a silver bullet. It’s just one tool in the toolbox. But it’s an important one and every effort needs to be made to get those tools into the hands of farmers as quickly as possible when the time comes.
Bryan Gibson
LETTERS
Covid’s a convenient excuse THE controversy over the Government’s Three Waters proposal has the underlying principle of democracy being at stake (letters, Tony Orman, August 16). It is not new to the Government’s style. The firearm laws following the “Ides of March” 2019 shooting were a travesty of democracy. The Government resorted to a “pretend consultation” of considering 12,000 submissions in two to three days. It ignored sincere, law abiding citizens and expert views. The resulting law was poor and ineffective, ending up targeting the recreational public and farmers and because of ‘under table’ sales, gangs and criminals gained forfeited firearms. Gang arsenals were increased. The rushed law was
unbelievable in its stupidity. It seems the Government sees a convenient excuse with covid to push new law through under “urgency” with a pretence of consultation. However, it is not just the central government showing arrogance. Local government councils, which seem increasingly run by bureaucrats instead of the elected council, are showing the similar trait. There is growing reactionary frustration by all New Zealanders to the arrogance of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and bureaucrats. Not surprisingly, the Groundswell protests had much off-farm support from people. Andi Cockroft Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations
An ever-inflating helium balloon THE Government has subsidised one side of the seesaw with carbon credits, which can be likened to an ever-inflating helium balloon. If the Government in turn loads the other side with the burden of taxes on ‘thin air’ or methane taxes on ‘ruminant burps’, what will happen? Well, Steve Wynn-Harris touched on it in his riveting August 9 ‘Carbon prices drive land-use change’ article. If Steve’s landvaluer’s estimation is correct that for every $10/tonne the carbon price increases any forestry suitable land goes up $3000/ha and if the Climate Change Commission
estimates are correct, then, solely due to artificial Government-induced carbon trading, land prices increase 300% by 2030 and 500% by 2050. While the helium balloon is overinflating, ready to pop, the Government is talking of introducing a ‘thin air’ methane tax burden on the other side of the seesaw. What is the combined effect? Farms become unaffordable, production falls, rural unemployment, gutted communities, closed schools, food prices soar, ‘a piece of bread becomes worth a bag of gold’ and millions of people starve, especially the poorest of the poor. Dave Stanton Geraldine
Letterof theWeek EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519 bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz EDITORIAL Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks editorial@globalhq.co.nz Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz Annette Scott 021 908 400 annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz Hugh Stringleman 09 432 8594 hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz Gerald Piddock 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz Nigel Stirling 021 136 5570 nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com
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