Believe the science on our climate and act

Bob Hughes

Opinion

Re: Following, questioning — March 20.

Here, Simin Williams supports Iain Boyle’s “Science debate overdue” letter and I explain the Media Council findings of the Neil Henderson against The Gisborne Herald case of 2015.

“The council does not believe Mr Muir has breached Principle 5 which states letters for publication are the prerogative of editors who are to be guided by fairness, balance and public interest. An editor can decide which letters and opinion pieces to publish as well as when to close the curtain or close a discussion topic within his or her publication.”

Your correspondent has also quoted Tony Orman’s (December 5) Rural News column article “Carbon Credits a Discredit”. On behalf of the farming community, Leo Cooney defended the “matter of climate change formerly known as global warming”.

I challenge this as well. Global warming is the cause of climate change, the same as global cooling would be if that were so instead. The reality of the climate crisis is an undeniable truth: average global temperatures are increasing due to emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) released by human activities.

Climate change is an issue that is of huge importance to New Zealand’s farming community because it has and will have such big repercussions, and because agriculture accounts for 48 percent of our overall GHG emissions.

As to Leo’s argument, “Climate change has always been happening…There’s scientific evidence” I offer this:

https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ “Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring . . . greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.”

However, in New Zealand/Aotearoa, strangely it seems that half of the farming community has little or no understanding of the actions needed to reduce their farm emissions. Thankfully, 25 percent have at least a reasonable understanding and are making an effort. But it’s a hard row to hoe when such a high proportion of our country’s emissions come from pastoral farming, and agriculture is seen as vital to our economy.

https://www.dairynz.co.nz/environment/climate/on-farm-emissions.

Ever since Helen Clark’s term in office in 2003 when Taranaki farmer Shane Ardern twice drove his tractor up Parliament’s steps in protest over a flatulance emission tax, the agriculture lobby has been resisting action on climate change.

“National, Act and New Zealand First . . . are strongly aligned. They all seek to strip back the protection of fresh water, drinking water, soil and the climate,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa’s lead climate and agriculture campaigner Christine Rose.

Strangely, although the farming community are the most vulnerable, many farmers are unwilling to face up to the truth.

The primary sector makes up a large part of New Zealand’s economy. Primary industries produce natural goods like dairy, meat, fruit and wine. Because these industries are susceptible to large changes in temperatures and rainfall, they will be affected by a changing climate.

It is frightening that atmospheric GHG CO2 is at 426.02ppm — ManuaLoa observatory, March 18 2024 — its highest level in 14 million years, rising in a steep and dangerous spike that is unprecedented in recent geological history.

So, please, readers.

Maybe facing up to the truth is just too hard and when the facts are distressing, it is easier to reframe or ignore them. Research has it that in New Zealand/Aotearoa, far too few farmers have truly faced up to the facts about global warming.

Because the agriculture industry will suffer more than most, please believe the science. Act and prepare for the worst.