Major announcements on potential changes to the ETS, and a consultation period shortened by the summer break, are not a Christmas present farmers will appreciate.
“Apart from the unfortunate timing, we’re concerned that limiting the number of emission units in the system and doubling the carbon price cap to $50 per tonne will accelerate the purchase of productive pasture land for blanket pine forest ‘carbon farming’,” Federated Farmers climate change spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says.
“Surely the proposals announced should have been carefully considered by the new independent Climate Change Commission.”
Farmers would also have preferred discussion on options for tree planting that don’t come at the expense of prime sheep and beef land.
“We’d like to talk about accounting under the ETS of trees planted already – and into the future – in shelter belts, riparian strips and smaller woodlots. With recognition of these options there’s great potential for additional carbon sequestration without the undermining of livestock production capacity and the hollowing out of rural communities,” Andrew said.
arent there 1000s of acres marginal land that actually need trees rather than cows and sheep. carbon farming renewable energy public infer structure projects could be good place for kiwi-saver investment long term 30 year stable money may be the farmer are worried there special status could be up ended by new Zealand pension funds with billions
and increasing every week we have the capital to invest in new Zealand but not in a sunset industry like dairy
Mike the problem is the forestry companies want the best land too, marginal land has lower growth rates and higher harvest costs. The Govt policies are encouraging forestry over farming. This is not bad in it’s own right because as you say much of our country should be in forest, the problem is the carbon market is structured in such a way that all the carbon credits are taken up in the first rotation, after which the land has to stay in forest for ever or incur carbon liabilities. IN practice this means foreign companies can come to NZ and buy up our best land, plant them in carbon forests and sell the credits at a return far higher than they could make put of other investments. At the end of the forests life these companies can simply write them off, leaving large parts of NZ PERMANENTLY useless, as the land holds massive carbon liabilities far above the capital value.
Basically a great idea that should be used a great climate change mitigation has become a repulsive corporate welfare for foreign companies, all at the coast of NZ population. The ETS forestry is fundamentally flawed and can only be bad for NZ for the future.
What needs to happen is some mechanism for planting marginal erosion-prone land in permanent native forest, rather than ETS carbon forest. This will very rarely be done at landowner expense due to the cost of both planting and losing production value.
OMG ! I’m sooooo coming back to this.
In the meantime, just let me say as a proper, trained farmer who’s done his apprenticeship in a multilayered approach to farming and by that I mean in cattle, dairy, grain, grasses, sheep and we had one pig, a couple of kittens, six dogs and two horses.
Item #1 FUCK federated farmers. They’re a cadre of arse kissing national party ball cuppers. Forget about the pricks. Unless, of course, you’d like to chase them with flaming torches and sharp pitchforks.
Item #2
Farmers? Proper farmers. ( Not cowsploiters. You, are quite something else aren’t you? )
Cannabis. Yep. Lots and lots of cannabis.
Yea, I can hear you down the back. Yes you, the big rough old cockie with the brawlers hands. Been voting national for years. All you need is three feeds a day, right?
” Haw, haw, haw…” Is what you’ll be guffawing.
Well, shut the fuck up dipshit. You’ve done enough harm to you and yorn. Stupidity is as infectious as nob herpies.
Item#3
Cannabis. Cannabis. Cannabis. Cannabis. Cannabis.
Cannabis.
Cannabis is the single most significantly important plant I know of on the planet.
One can eat the seed as a cake which is high in essential fatty acids and plant proteins.
By steam splitting the long fibres, one can make an excellent insulation material for housing.
Once compressed, it makes a building board that’s three times stronger than the same board ( 2.4×1.2x18mm ) made out of useless fucking pine tree.
When harvested? Certain strains of cannabis plants can grow to 4 or more meters high and as the harvesting machine cuts the plant off at the ground the leaves and flower heads which contain most of the minerals and organic compounds are left behind to naturally compost in readiness for the next crop.
As a building material, cannabis requires minimal, if any, pest control chemicals and of course, lastly and perhaps most importantly is, as a plant, a very efficient Co2 scavenger.
And! Recreationally, you can smoke it, eat it and roll about on it while giggling with your special cuddles, front ( Or rear, I’m not judging. ) bottom, full contact, sex person.
Unless, of course, the cops don’t bust you and hand your sorry arse over to a criminal justice system all bought and paid for by the Kiwi- As billionaire sect.
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