Climate change truth is self-evident: Greens

As Auckland experiences its highest-ever temperatures, droughts worsen each year and Australian bush fires rage, the New Zealand Government is looking more and more behind the game.

“While Aucklanders have been hit by a record 32.4 degrees centigrade heat wave (equalled only by one day in 1872), farmers are suffering from drought and Australians are tragically losing their lives and homes in fires, the National-led Government has given in to a climate change denier and set up a committee to review uncertainties in the science,” Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said.

“Meanwhile the forestry industry – which under the present law has credits to sell for plantings since 1990 – has had the value of those credits destroyed as there are no buyers. Carbon emitters are waiting to see whether they will still have the liabilities under the law as it stands, so will not buy yet to cover this liability.

“Worse, it is likely the renewed interest in planting new forests will stall and few seedlings will go in the ground this year because of uncertainty around their future value. That will impact on all New Zealanders and future Government budgets as our liability for future emissions grows.

“Dr David Jones, head of climate analysis at the Australian National Climate Centre, commented on the fires to colleagues in New Zealand as follows: "It has been a truly unbelievable event and the climate change implications are very clear – it was the hottest day on record in the midst of the longest heat wave on record with 2009 having the driest start to a year on record in a 12-year drought which has been our hottest, longest and driest on record.”

New Zealand currently has nothing to offer our overseas markets who are concerned about our almost unparalleled rate of growth in greenhouse emissions, and the food miles that contribute to this, Ms Fitzsimons said.

“The only way we can retain, let alone grow, our markets among discerning European customers is to show we are taking serious action to reduce emissions. That concern is likely to spread to US markets as Obama finally drags his country into the club of responsible nations who are trying to do something about climate change.”