In spite of the abuse heaped on farmers by urbanites, the causes of climate change are a town and country problem. By most key measures, and even counting food miles for our exports, we already are. But that message needs amplifying.
Never mind the world stage – farmers need defending at home against the current fashion for demonizing them as the prime culprits for greenhouse-gas emissions and water pollution.
The causes of climate change are a town and country problem. It is pointless to pit “their” dirty rivers and belching cows against “our” urban traffic and sewage discharge. Yet the abuse of farmers by self-righteous urbanites is becoming so severe that it is probably contributing – along with debt and isolation – to serious mental health problems in rural country.
Reflexive cries of “soft on farmers!” ignore the green imperatives for carefully calibrating these settings. Were vast tracts of our productive land rendered uneconomic to farm or crop because of new restrictions, there is little to stop it being taken over by forestry. Carbon sinks are highly attractive to international investors.
Further, there is nothing to replace our agricultural sector’s economic heft – least of all more sustainably. Were it to come from massive expansion in tourism, unlikely though that is, our carbon emissions would rise as a result of burning more aviation fuel.
This effect, known as carbon leakage, will remain a risk until competitors’ green efficiency starts catching up with ours. For structural economic reasons – chiefly that most are heavily subsidized – this is highly unlikely any time soon. For example, despite the UK’s large population and guaranteed – for now – European market access, only a quarter of its farms are profitable without subsidies and supplementary employment.
It would be instructive to poll those blackguarding the farm sector as to what they would give up in exchange for a much-reduced national income.
Agricultural exports make up a lot of our foreign earnings from merchandise and more than half of all earnings including services, which allow us to import prized – and not particularly green – items such as iPhones, computers, coffee, designer goods, e-scooters and cars that are bought primarily by city dwellers.
Those tempted to rejoice in farmer discomfort should also consider the social cost of a devastated farm sector: social dislocation, provincial business failures, and unemployment.
Source: https://www.noted.co.nz/money/money-economy/climate-change-blame-game-nz
That nasty boogie bugs me
But somehow it has drugged me
Spellbound rhythm gets me on my feetI’ve changed my life completely
I’ve seen the lightening leave me
My baby just can’t take her eyes off meDon’t blame it on the sunshine
Don’t blame it on the moonlight
Don’t blame it on good times
Blame it on the boogie
Either I will find a way, or I will make one by Philip Sidney
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