The PM is soon to announce who will be climate minister and we are gearing up to campaign for the removal of all unscientific methane reduction requirements. We hope James Shaw will be kicked to touch and he deserves to be after adopting unscientific methane reduction targets in the so called carbon zero bill. Having a climate minister who either does not understand the science of methane or deliberately ignores it to push their anti farming ideology is not what we need.
A new minister of course could be no better but it is hard to imagine one being worse. The problem is that no political party is abreast of this issue in the way we would like and farming leaders seemed to have given in. Without some action it seems farmers will have to accept the reality of a tax on their ruminant methane emissions, either in the ETS or through the agreement their leaders have signed them up to.
Either way farmers will be paying a tax which is unjust, unscientific, unnecessary and in the long run unaffordable. It was NZ First that negotiated the 95% discount on emission pricing and they are no longer in government.
The paradox is that as the prospect for NZ farmers gets worse, more and more science is supporting our position and in fact very little science does not. This makes the farmers surrender even harder to understand.
I have joined up with an organization called FARM (Facts About Ruminant Methane). I am the spokesman for them. I am hoping being part of a larger and better funded organization will see more progress and a just outcome. Pastural Farming Climate Research will carry on for now but in the background. FARM is a group of motivated farmers and scientists and if you have not already, please support it by joining and donating. Link below
As well as funds to keep active we want to start advertising in mainstream media and social media to start changing the narrative and get more support for farmers from the public. We hope to raise $25,000 to do this. Please consider donating to this as well. https://farmemissions.co.nz/
With a new government and perhaps a new climate minister as well as new opposition spokespeople now is the time to make some noise. Please support us.