GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Across 1.

First left-handed player to win one of golf’s major championships, the 1963 Open (3,7)

6. Major prophet of the Old Testament who angrily lamented the wickedness of his people (8)

10. The __ __ __, 1989 song released by Chris Rea (4,2,4)

11. Stage of a relay race (3)

12. Large cutting tool used in agriculture for more than 3500 years (6)

15. Instrument used to measure the current in a circuit (7)

17. Finely woven white linen, originally from France (7)

18. Pupil of a school in Berkshire, one of only four remaining singlesex boys’ boarding schools in the UK (7)

19. Freddy ___, character in A Nightmare on Elm Street horror film series (7)

22. American author and opponent of slavery who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852 (5)

25. Horizontal part of a set of stairs (5)

27. Former French and Spanish colony which has been ranked least healthy of the 50 US states (9)

30. Second most-populous country in the Caribbean (4)

31. Surname of brothers who ran organised crime in London’s East End in the 1960s and were the subject of a 1990 film (4)

32. “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of ___ when you’d have preferred to talk”: Doug Larson (9)

34. One of eight male tennis players to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments (5)

37. Egyptian god of the dead (6)

40. Disciple of Jesus at Damascus (7)

42. Oscar & ___, novel which won the 1988 Booker Prize (7)

43. Underground fungus of the order Tuberales with a rough warty exterior, regarded as a great delicacy (7)

53. “With your long blonde hair and your ___ __ ___”: first line of Sorrow, by David Bowie (4,2,4)

Down

1. Surname of American singersongwriter and actress Tina Turner (7)

2. Citrus fruit whose oil is used in perfumery and teas (8)

3. In 2019, world’s second busiest airport by international passenger traffic (8)

4. Name given to a group which included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop (3,4)

5. Upright stone erected in the ancient world as a monument (5)

6. Actress who has been Hollywood’s highest-paid woman, also famous for a high profile marriage (5)

7. Flat bones which help protect internal organs (4)

8. Rowland Hussey __, businessman who opened a store on New York’s Sixth Avenue in 1858 (4)

9. Being within sight of, or having achieved, one’s objective (4,3,3)

13. Brand of sherry, begun in the 19th Century by British businessman Robert Byass (5)

14. Thin curved biscuit, usually made of almonds and often eaten

45. Love in a Cold ___, 1949 novel by with dessert (5)

Nancy Mitford (7) 16. Repeat showing of a television

48. “The only true __ is in knowing show (5) you know nothing”: Socrates (6) 20. In Scotland and northern

51. World’s largest rugby stadium, England, occasions when land or with a capacity of 82,000 (10) items are sold by auction (5)

52. Author of Das Kapital (4,4) 21. Manager of the Beatles (7)

23. Character played by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind (5)

24. Sixth month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical calendar (4)

26. ___ Don’t Lose That Number, 1974 single by Steely Dan (5)

28. Large breed of dog originating in Japan (5)

29. Ship, built with the help of the gods, that carried Jason and the Argonauts (4)

30. Soft, tufted fabric used for bedspreads (10)

33. First name of Asimov and Newton (5)

35. Aquatic birds with breeds including Muscovy, Aylesbury and Campbell (5)

36. Musical direction meaning ‘in slow time’ (5)

38. Second in command in a kitchen (4,4)

39. Cheapest accommodation on a ship (8)

41. Jon ____, New Zealander who became lead singer of INXS after the death of Michael Hutchence (7)

44. Traditional Western dress code for such events as weddings (6)

46. Fluid obtained from a rubber tree (5)

47. Staple food whose production is larger than wheat or rice (5)

49. All work and no play makes Jack a __ boy (4)

50. Art museum which opened in New York City in 1929 (abbr) (4)

Government’s new freshwater regulations, the ‘‘feebate’’ scheme, an overhaul of the RMA and upcoming protections for indigenous biodiversity.

In objecting to the burden of all these mitigation policies, they fail to acknowledge that agriculture is responsible for a large proportion of harmful methane emissions and bears more than a fair share of blame for the degradation of our waterways.

The Groundswellers say they cannot afford to pay for the implementation of these policies, that the speed of change is too great, and they are being implemented without consultation from Wellington. They are the Howl that cried Wolf.

The outlook for the agricultural economy is healthy. Demand from China for dairy products remains strong, with another record-busting payout expected later in the year. Meat prices are solid. And interest rates remain low.

The ‘‘ute tax’’ is not the kick in the guts Groundswell claim. The fees would add a maximum of around 8 per cent to the cost of a newly imported, top-of-the range, high-emitting vehicle – should a purchaser chose that over one of the feefree used utes already on the market.

And there is nothing fast about the implementation of freshwater standards.

The Government says it expects change within a generation, but we’re talking more like 50 years lag time before we see any improvement.

Part of that time will be taken up by local councils adopting the national policy statement into their regional plans – which involves plenty of community consultation.

The fuss over biodiversity is also overblown. The RMA already requires Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to be protected – many local authorities are playing catch up to these requirements. Existing practices in or near SNAs will be able to continue – just not intensified.

On many of their points, the Groundswellers are wrong.

They are also on the wrong side of the argument. Much of the public recognise the need for action and urgency in the face of the climate emergency: the ‘‘too many cows’’ argument packed a powerful punch.

And while Kiwis are grateful to the sector for keeping the economy ticking over during the pandemic, they are only one part of the ‘‘backbone’’ food supply chain.

All businesses, from transport to logistics and retail and even consumers, must also adapt and bear the cost of a carbon-zero future.

Importantly, the protesters do not speak for numerous farmers who are innovative, and have embraced more sustainable methods of food production, recognising that the world’s consumers are demanding it.

On environmental regulations, farmers can expect further change including emissions pricing, RMA reform and farm planning.

However, the world has only just begun to address the climate emergency, and more pressure to cut emissions will come to bear. After focusing doggedly on carbon for many years, the international community is now turning its attention to methane as a low-hanging fruit.

A storm is coming – and it’s one that will drown out Groundswell’s howl.

On many of their points, the Groundswellers are wrong. They are also on the wrong side of the argument.