White Gold – the biggest polluter
July 8, 2010
Rarely does Adam agree with Chris Trotter, but this piece evoking nostalgia for the past and concern for the future resonated with Adam. Like Trotter, Adam is very concerned about the rush to dairying and the environmental impact of that rush. You do not have to be Wed Wussel to recognise the baleful impact of uncontrolled dairy conversions on our landscape and environment.
More and more dairy seems to be a disaster affecting NZ.
Farmer failure to comply with the accord over water pollution and other issues shows time and again their arrogance and non-acceptance of the need to restrain pollution.
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Southland and Canterbury soils are becoming a slurry of cow sh*t and urea. The soil can’t cope, the rivers can’t cope, the groundwater is becoming an e-colic nightmare. The McKenzie Country is next on the list of environments that must have the white-gold wrung out of them. Alex’s comment reveals the true nature of farming with his ‘I’d be diving into dairying boots and all’ comment.
More power to you Adam, for the post, but whaddayagonnadoaboutit?
This letter to the Southland Times from John Purey-Cust tells you alot.
http://robertguyton.blogspot.com
and I’m posting on the dairying/water issue every now and then.
Please excuse the link-whoring.
A publican at the busiest time of his day/week is entrapped into selling a few alcopops to an underage made to look 30 and is prevented from trading for 24 hours. A factory or farm breaks a legal requirement to prevent poluting a stream or the air and if it ever gets resolved will incur a very minor penalty that is all too often regarded as a cost of doing business.
We have plenty of law but it would seem very little will to take meaningful action.
While I tire of Trotters pompous verbosity sometimes he strikes a chord.
The problem with many of these farms is that they are owned corporates (created by the dreaded queen street farmers) with none of the conscience that individual/family owners tend to have.
Mind you if my parents had gone farming when offered the opportunity 40 odd years ago I would be diving into dairy boots and all especially as the returns from diary production per ha are way higher than sheep and beef even on marginal high country land.