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Climate change

Like the great Antarctic ice sheet melting, within the next two decades it is certain we will be living in a climate which has warmed by 1.5 degrees Celsius. And it will get hotter and hotter if nothing is done about it. This will have a devastating effect on world travel and trade. Climate conditions will make both air and sea travel more difficult.

Why do I say this? Because if

New Zealand’s approach to the November summit is an example, governments around the world are unlikely to put forward sufficient positive commitments to reverse climate change.

New Zealand’s broad plan is basically negative, reactive, with an over-riding desire to protect its economy. The proposal to buy carbon credits or pay other nations to reduce emissions is an avoidance of action that can be done in New Zealand.

For a start the nation will need all the capital it gets to build new infrastructure and protect our people from adversity. It will need extra finance to facilitate change.

We need to be visionary and produce a strategy for change that really deals with reducing carbon emissions. We need a visionary strategy to build economic strength. We know we have to reduce methane emissions and eliminate nitrous oxide emissions.

It is far better to do it now during this decade and restructure agriculture to be progressive, more resilient, at the same time as reducing agricultural emissions to more desirable levels.

Our dairy industry is the backbone of our economy and because it is so important it can refrain from action to streamline its production methods. The industry can hide behind denial and claim it is the best in the world.

However, if they put aside this protective attitude can it in fact produce a strategy for transformation and a new vision for farm methods that not only reduce emissions but lead to less use of water for irrigation allowing rivers to flow more freely and with less nitrogen pollution?

At least the industry can start a process of change which provides an opportunity to explore and research new methods. Cutting dairy cattle numbers by 15 per cent in a selective number of farms initially and a transition to regenerative pasture, eliminating use of synthetic fertiliser, will put them on a path to new cleaner principles of dairy production.

A leaner more efficient dairy industry will be less vulnerable to harsh climate conditions or trade difficulties that are likely to occur. We can’t rely on one dominant industry to survive the coming crisis, but we can streamline and improve the dairy industry. Terry Huggins Geraldine (Abridged)

Opinion

en-nz

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281655373358459

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