Tuesday, August 30, 2005
HOORAY FOR KYOTO!
Kyoto is bad for trees:
Wairarapa forest owners are being short-changed by the Government’s Kyoto policies, says Denis Hocking of the NZ Farm Forestry Association ...
Mr Hocking said that instead of reaping the rewards from helping New Zealand meet its Kyoto commitments, local foresters are finding that their forest sink credits (the carbon credits they earn from planting trees) are being used to bail out their competitors.
Wood products compete with aluminium, plastic and steel, but the Government is re-allocating the credits earned by foresters to companies operating in those industries.
“The worry we’ve got is they’re our competition and they’re getting our credits,” Mr Hocking said. “Effectively they will be subsidised by forestry.”
Meanwhile, deforestation is progressing at a rapid rate as foresters turn over their land to pasture for dairy cows and sheep.
I take back all my criticism of Kyoto. This result is absolutely beautiful.