Summarised by Centrist
In “Don’t blame the cows for emissions”, farmer and co-chairman of the Primary Land Users Group, Peter Buckly, says the agriculture industry’s impact on the environment is not as significant as critics suggest.
Buckley calls the Government’s goal to reduce NZ’s carbon emissions 50% by 2030 “madness”.
“With all the economic issues affecting our country, why is the Government putting in place policies and IPCC driven mandates that will seriously affect the food producing sector that provides food security for us and is also our primary income earner?” he writes.
He details the mistake made by the IPCC in overstating the effect of methane emissions on global temperature by a factor of 3-4.
Considering the already highly efficient farming methods in place that make New Zealand one of the most environmentally sound agricultural producers in the world, Buckley asks “Why aren’t our negotiators pointing this out to the climate commissioners and our markets?”
