Wednesday, 13 August 2025 09:55

Burn the village

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: There's an infamous term coined by a US general during the Vietnam war, specifically in reference to the battle of Ben Tre: "We had to burn the village to save it."

A mate of yours truly reckons a similar approach is being taken by the Government with its ETS policy, which, to offset the country's combined carbon emissions (including the often understated urban-industrial and transport contribution), is covering good productive sheep and beef country in more bloody pine trees.

The downsides of this rampant afforestation have been well covered but remain true – jobs will go and the flow of money through affected rural communities will dry up. And yet it continues.

Crucially, ‘offsetting’ does nothing to reduce the actual emissions in the first place!

As the Hound’s old mate opines, sinking our country won’t save our planet.


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