5 November 2008
Green Party in climate change denial
“The Green Party just does not get the reality of global climate change,” Federated Farmers climate change spokesperson, Frank Brenmuhl said today.
Federated Farmers makes this claim following yesterday’s launch of its Manifesto in Wellington, attended by Green Party Co-Leader, Dr. Russel Norman MP. At the launch it was evident that Dr. Norman was unrealistic on the realities facing New Zealand’s farming sector. The Green Party shows no regard for the impact its myopic and nationalistic policies will have on global emissions.
“The Green Party seems to think climate change begins and ends with New Zealand. Their policies will be a disaster for a wider world, our economy and our children.
“Climate change is a global issue needing global solutions. New Zealand’s farmers understand that. Our farmers are the world’s most efficient producers of food which is how we can feed almost one percent of the world’s people but generate only 0.1% of emissions.
“800 million people, right now, live in food poverty and global food reserves are down to just 35 days. With 80 million new mouths being born each year our world needs the most carbon efficient producers of food, like New Zealand, to be at the best and not kneecapped,” Mr Brenmuhl said.
The Federation is alarmed the Green Party, along with the Labour Party, New Zealand First and Progressives, do not understand New Zealand is gifted at producing food with the lowest carbon footprint. As New Zealand is the only country on earth to include farm animals in an Emission Trading Scheme, a lot of our farms will become uneconomic. The graduated reduction in New Zealand’s agricultural output to meet emission targets will simply shift production to less efficient countries. What may reduce New Zealand’s emissions on one hand will be worse for the world.
“New Zealand is in a minority of one by including farm animals in an Emissions Trading Scheme when China, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, the European Union and every other country on earth is not. Why isn’t Dr Norman campaigning outside the embassies of those countries? Is this an inconvenient truth?
“If the Green Party, Labour Party, New Zealand First and Progressives truly care about global emissions they must exempt food production from the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. There is no choice unless those parties wish to be mute witness to an environmental and economic travesty.
“We know emissions are not out of sight so this topic should definitely not be out of mind. We call on all politicians to think and act globally on emissions by exempting New Zealand food production from the Emission Trading Scheme in the next Parliament,” Mr Brenmuhl concluded.
See Also NZ Herald Owen Henbry "Unravelling Greens' agricultural policy
MAF on NZETS: http://www.maf.govt.nz/climatechange/agriculture/
ReplyDeleteNot wanting to wade into any debate as to who causes the most greenhouse gases and where -- I do have a cynicism with regard to carbon trading in general, and I suspect there are folks out there profitting from this latest accounting procedural way to try to transform a real problem into pluses and minuses, dollars and cents. It sounds all a bit too pat, to me.
I'm glad, though, that my property here in smoggy ol' Auckland still has mature trees.
It's not just the Greens that are delusional, Helen Clark seems to be in with them *sigh*
ReplyDeletebtw check out my new political blog :-)
I have the same cynicism. I looked into stuff on that a while back. The payment for having native bush was at the time $35 per hectare per year and you had to payt o fence it yourself and ensure no weeds etc got in or stock. Ah...yeah lets do the math here. Not worth it. google aren't playing ball on that link so I'll do some followup on that. Actually I don't think Auckland is as bad as say Sydney. I think Sydney is way worse on the smog side
ReplyDeleteTo me, carbon trading is another tax. Politicians of all shades (except the Greens) were dubious about this stuff until someone fronted up to the promo seminars with the sushi platters and teeny snags on crackers ... and told them one simple thing to keep repeating in their heads: "Carbon trading = $$$" More $$$ from the ol' taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteFrom then on, even without Al Gore, it was a done deal.
It is another Tax which means it gets added on to everything else. If it gets say added on to petrol then natural law dictates the increase has a flow on effect thoughout the entire economy. I think the whole thing is insane. And you're right on the promo seminars and sushi platters - exactly that.
ReplyDeleteAmy just missed your comment. The whole thing is madness. I'll check out your blog. Link it in to the Maungaturoto Blog
ReplyDelete