Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:25

No more pines!

Written by  The Hound

Forests planted for carbon credits are permanently locking up NZ’s landscapes, and could land us with more carbon costs, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE).

The new report, ‘Alt-F Reset: Examining the drivers of forestry in New Zealand’, says that radiata pine is really the only economical tree for carbon farming.

However, it could leave the Crown with future carbon liabilities if they’re damaged by pests, disease, fire or extreme weather events.

Even climate scientists are anti-pine, one saying “the PCE, Simon Upton, is uniquely qualified to provide impartial strategic guidance on New Zealand Forests.

We should be grateful for this as climate virtue signaling and perverse carbon incentives threaten to radically change our rural landscapes in a widespread and visually jarring fashion”.

The key takeaway from the PCE’s advice is ‘‘no to carbon forestry!’

More like this

Our own 'Clarkson'

OPINION: The huge success of former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson's new TV show, Clarkson's Farm, and the boost it has given the image of farming in the UK, has prompted one scribe to wonder aloud who could fill a similar role here in NZ.

Gaslight much?

OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts started after their disastrous Covid response; now trying to undermine the Covid inquiry to protect his own backside.

Corporate narrative?

OPINION: Forget about the fabled 'rural-urban' divide, the real fault-line in farming might actually be the divide between grass-roots farmers and the industry corporates who claim to be 'speaking on behalf of farmers'.

Overbearing?

OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the job description of PR is to grease the wheels and ensure clients get good media coverage.

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.

Featured

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Gaslight much?

OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts…

Our own 'Clarkson'

OPINION: The huge success of former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson's new TV show, Clarkson's Farm, and the boost it…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter