Climate Change?

A recent IPSOS (global leader in market research) survey of 1000 people stated that the Green Party is believed the most capable of managing climate change. Really!!!

Climate change is a world-wide issue and the control of New Zealand climate change objectives are infinitesimal on a global scale. We emit 0.17% of global emissions. Britain 2%, US 14%, China 30%. Our efforts will make NO difference! But you all must know that.

So why the flooding in Auckland, East Cape/Gisborne and Hawkes Bay? Was this a sign of rampant climate change? Listening to the Green Party you would think it was.

I used to live in Napier and recently toured the East Cape. My gaze was drawn constantly to the bare, largely tree-less countryside and hinterland. The huge catchment areas were denuded of canopy cover. A hundred to a hundred and fifty years ago native bush reached down to the coastline and this canopy cover slowed substantially rainfall run off. Now these downpours rush unimpeded down our bare hillsides, rivers and floodplains picking up ‘slash’ and destroying much in its way.

Yes, towns and cities need to be built and we want productive farmland. To exacerbate the problem, they have been built in drained swamplands and flood plains. That is still happening today. Farmers are fencing off wetlands and replanting native vegetation in suspect gulley’s etc. Certainly, the latest cyclone was exceptional, but we have largely created our own problems by being ambitious humans on this moody planet.

Cyclone Bola should have seen us developing a ‘heavy rainfall and wind mitigation’ strategy particularly in the heavily impacted areas. We clearly have not done that.

Climate change is a convenient political construct! That is a story for another day.