But then, what did you expect from a Government striving to stimulate oil and gas exploration, amongst other climate action retreats?
On a weekend when the nation was ‘distracted’ by local body elections reporting, the Government announced that it would significantly reduce NZ’s 2050 methane target to 14-24% below 2017 levels – the target has been 24-57%.
This despite universal scientific recognition that current methane emissions are having ten times the impact – right now – on rising global temperatures, and reducing those as quickly and aggressively as possible is the most essential and effective pathway to mitigating climate disaster.
And despite the fact that our NZ Climate Change Commission has recommended achievable ways to increase our methane reduction ambitions (proposing a target of 35-47% reduction).
In NZ, methane emissions are predominately ‘biogenic’ – caused by farm animals. They account for about 70% of NZ’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The Government policy is founded on a fallacy championed by Minister Andrew Hoggard, ACT’s agriculture spokesman, dairy farmer and former Federated Farmers president.
The assertion is that the new targets are sufficient to prevent any ‘additional warming’ due to methane.
What this policy actually does is grandfather in all existing methane emissions together with their devastating impacts on climate.
Analogy: The Government/Hoggard is the lifeguard standing at the edge of the swimming pool watching a drowning swimmer (think: global environment, farm exporter) and responding with … ‘She’ll be fine, just don’t add any water’.
This policy is undeniably damaging to the environment, threatening to NZ’s vital farm exports (because our overseas customer demand better performance), and forces other sectors of the NZ economy to carry an unfair heavier load given lax treatment of farm-generated emissions.
A cave-in to the troglodyte fringe of NZ’s farming sector, with ACT wielding the ax and National blithely acquiescing. While progressive farmers forge on.
Boasting of its accomplishment, ACT cited the fact that even Nestle (a major NZ export customer) was pulling out of a global anti-methane coalition.
ACT obviously hasn’t done its homework on Nestle’s overall climate commitment and initiatives, which have been – and remain – world-leading. Indeed, here in NZ Nestle actually subsidises Fonterra (as does Mars) to offer its suppliers financial incentives to reduce their emissions footprint. That’s the real world, not ACT/National’s farm fantasyland.
Leaving aside its unfortunate impact on climate, the Government’s climate folly will soon catch up to taxpayers’ wallets. Eventually the Government, having failed to initiate (or maintain prior Government) actual emissions reduction policies and programmes, will be forced to spend billions buying overseas emissions offset credits … to look like NZ is doing its part to save the planet.
Or, it could just get behind President Trump and exit the international climate treaty regime altogether. At least that would be honest.
Keep it up, team. Our emissions are nothing compared to countries with billions of people. How about before you pick on the country of 5+ million about this, you go see them and ask them to change their ways first. P.s. saying we were ‘distracted’ by Local elections is pretty poor journalism Tom, even for you. Do you want us to vote or not? Seems you change you kind as much as the weather forecasters.
You missed my point, Peter whoever you are. Putting ‘distracted’ in quotes is meant to draw attention to the Govt making its absurd but major policy announcement exactly on a Sunday when it knew most of the public and media would be — appropriately — focused on local election returns. It’s called burying bad news.
Interesting comment, Pete. BayBuzz Tom, burying bad news, is it really? Besides, pray tell, don’t you bury comments that don’t suit your agenda? Have a lovely lie in.
Bury comments?! We even post comments from anonymous doorknobs.
Tom! Oh my, you don’t like being called out do you. I know several people who have advised you don’t always post comments that are submitted. Is it you or Pete and Greg who are lying (the doorknob)? What a hot head you have. Please provide a comment, and remember, I know.
Been publishing BayBuzz 15+ years now. Been called worse than a ‘hot head’. My comment … Yawn! Will not be extending this ‘conversation’ further, unless you want to address the actual content of the article.
Like most Nzers, couldn’t give a toss about the fart tax. Ps thanks Trump for getting somewhere with Israel vs the people who started it, support.
Keen to save us doing it tough some $ so, as Tom says, get behind President Trump and exit the international climate treaty regime altogether.
“Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die”
For the lat 20 plus years we’ve been told we have to save the planet and we’ll make money doi g so
It’s become apparent to the electorate worldwide that there is a huge cost which is only being borne by countries stupid enough to sacrifice their population on the alter of climate change
The electorates of the countries concerned aren’t prepared to be sacrificed so all the western countries are backpedalling on their commitments
Good Lord – there’s still people out there that think Trump is actually someone worth listening to?! The man’s a climate moron, and the biggest self advertiser on the planet. Keep up the good work Tom – I know it’s hard but try to ignore the mental midgets of the world with their asinine comments that lack any actual reality (that’s basically anything that Trump asserts is a fact or true!)
Why on Earth are you even discussing this “crap” who cares about this topic, we as a country are nothing but a we tiny pimple compared to the rest of the world, in fact we as a country are more than likely disposing/exporting of more Farters of Methane than we breed? one missile from Russia landing in Ukraine, more than likely does more damage to the Ozone than the the whole of NZ in any given week, this is nothing more than “Tutae” stirring