Reflections on a report cited in Science for Environment Policy, Issue 165: A service from the European Commission

I have been musing on an article in the newsletter Science for Environmental Policy by the European Commission.  The article reports a study on the value and amount of carbon sequestration by natural ecosystems and natural areas within agricultural systems.  The article has relevance for farming in New Zealand.

According to the report, the ability of the Earth's living systems to store carbon could play a vital role in the mitigation of climate change. It suggests that, in coming decades, safeguarding and restoring carbon in ecosystems has the potential to prevent well over 50 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon entering the atmosphere.

The RMA Amendment (Simplifying and Streamlining) Bill received its 3^rd and final reading in Parliament on 8 September and will commence on 1 October 2009. The media release from the Minister for the Environment Nick Smith can be accessed at:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/streamlined+resource+management+law+passed

Now you are worrying about running out of oil, and its related products like petrol,  (with the potential side benefit of getting to use a jet pack - see Mairi's blog below), running out of good air... global warming as a consequence, running out of green space and high quality soil....its also time to worry about running out of water....

Did you know that 1 cup of coffee takes 140 litres of water to make and 1kg of beef takes 16,000 litres of water to produce? So says the Herald article below. Read to find out more:

fhttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10597314

There have been several news items recently that reflect the likelihood that we have passed peak oil.  Peak oil is the point at which world demand for oil outstrips world supply and the cost of oil starts to rise in response to shortening supplies.  On September 9^th the New Zealand Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10596116 ) reported that Kea Petroleum has been granted a 5-year permit to hunt for oil and gas in and around Kaipara harbor.  The Waikato Times  (5^th September, page C5) reported that BP had struck oil “in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, 400 kilometres from land, after sinking a drill almost 1300 metres to the sea bed and then another 9,400m (equal to Mt Everest) into the earth’s crust.”

Two weeks ago Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee announced that he is investigating mining the most important parts of Aotearoa New Zealand’s conservation lands. “Mr Brownlee has asked staff to look at the mining potential of core conservation land currently protected by Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991. This land is 40 per cent of the conservation estate, and amounts to 13 per cent of New Zealand’s total land area. Contrast the billions from tourism’s ongoing income with Mr Brownlee’s estimates of what miners will get out of the whole of New Zealand – $100 billion from low-grade, high-polluting lignite brown coal and $40 billion from other minerals.” (Forest and Bird 31^st August 2009) You can read more about Mr Brownlee’s proposal at http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/undermining-nz%e2%80%99s-clean-green-image/

 common dolphin, North Island 2008

Most of us like to eat fish and chips and many of us will have happy memories of hauling in nets set to catch a tasty fish dinner. When should our interests in dinner and the interests of an Industry involved in providing us with dinner be overridden or limited by an animal’s risk of extinction? How extensive should any limitations imposed on that basis be? These and other questions will be central to a legal challenge by the fishing industry opposing measures to protect Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins. The case was heard in June and a decision is expected from the High Court shortly

I have been reading Peak Everything, by Richard Heinberg (2007, ISBN 978-1-905570-13-3).  It’s a thought-provoking and worthwhile read on how we can adjust to the post-carbon world.  Heinberg believes that, “everything in the post-hydrocarbon world will operate on a smaller scale.  There will be less of nearly everything to go around, and virtually every process of production and transport will occur more slowly’ (page 79). 

He suggests that an important element for adjusting to our post-hydrocarbon world is aesthetics.  Art ‘is part of the necessary process of adaptation’.  It provides ways for people not just to endure change, but to adjust and find fulfillment.