Comments on: Udder madness chez John

By: niels

niels — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:05:55 +0000

John, how did a petrol-head like you ended up on a Greenpeace site, are you struggling to find your way on the internet? You could have even more money if you wouldn’t buy things twice. My advice: buy yourself another speedboat for christmas and blow yourself up. Don’t forget to take your offspring before they start breeding and invite your mate Rodney Hyde too. That would be a great day for the environment.

In regards to the pine forest – Greenpeace should focus on the re-use of the land rather than protecting these pine-trees. Get rid of the pines and replant native trees please!! Growing native forest would absorb just as much (or even more) carbon and pine forests are green deserts – like much of New Zealand.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:58:59 +0000

John, sticking your head in the sand (or is it an exhaust pipe i this case) over climate change has got nothing to do with how wealthy you are (“My children are similarly wealthy and share my views”). There are plenty of people who are wealthy (and yes probably wealthier than you believe it or not) who understand the threat of climate change very clearly. So please stop associating money with lack of brains. Thanks.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:45:57 +0000

Something tells me John is trolling.

If not, then that Forest Gump saying springs to mind… stupid is as stupid does.

Reminds me of that Mike Judge movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:34:21 +0000

John, congratulations on all your chattels! It is on days like today i look out the window and think “oh would that i had a power boat”. Just wondering if in all your unfettered spending there is perhaps a direct debit to Greenpeace? You’ll understand that for our efforts to be “best” in order for you to frustrate them, we welcome support from all quarters.

By: John

John — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:06:29 +0000

The election of National and Act and removal of the greens from govt. has given me such pleasure that today I purchased another new Ford V8. We now have two and will take great pleasure in driving them as much as possible. Mind you, my power boat uses much more gas and I buy it at a subsidised price, I am told.
The cost of petrol for me is irrelevant. In fact I have no idea what it currently costs.
I could not care less about so called global warming and look forward to many years of frustrating your best efforts.
My children are similarly wealthy and share my views. You people are wasting your time and money in attempting to influence climate change and the efforts by world govts. will have no effect.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:39:33 +0000

I’m not old enough to vote yet, but next elections I am sure I’m not voting for National.
I think this was a great way to get the point across. I live in a place with a lot of intence dairy farms, and I am very against it all. Firstly they stink, but also because of the environmental damage they’re causing, and so many of the farms are cruel to the cows (not putting any trees in their paddocks, so they can sit down in the shade [if they're sitting, they aren't eating, if they aren't eating, they're not making milk]) D-:

By: Guy

Guy — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:35:30 +0000

Voting for either national or labour is the same as picking the lesser of 2 evils, and little will change with either in power. I see no time in the near or distant future where either party will incorporate an effective strategy against climate crime, simply due to the fact that there is more money in large corporations and little in helping our environment. These large parties do nothing that will ever help us, they only care about themselves.

By: peter forde

peter forde — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:59:55 +0000

Yer get ride of the pines,put it to deare and put sedament ponds in and put mimis and natives around them and the boundres and pokits of steper cuntre also they look orsom

By: David Moorhouse

David Moorhouse — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:35:18 +0000

Hey Chris

The last 3 govts have been:
1999-2002: Labour/Alliance with Greens support for confidence and supply (C&S)
2002-2005: Labour / UNITED FUTURE / NZ FIRST with Greens voting against C&S
2005-2008: Labour / UNITED FUTURE / NZ FIRST with Greens abstaining on C&S

So it’s pretty obvious why the Labour led govt’s have done squat all on fixing this problem. Make sure when you vote that NZ FIRST and Winston Peters do not hold the country to ransom again. And same goes for UF, aka the man with the ego.

A party vote for the Greens will put some spine into Labour. 6 MPs is not enough so make sure they get 10% of the vote and make sure whoever leads the next govt quits talking and actually does something.

Cheers

David

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:41:12 +0000

Funnily enough the first I heard of this protest was through a regular forestry email newsletter. I read with interest the comments above and unfortunately frown at some of the misconceptions. Firstly, I will admit to being employed in forestry and raised in dairy farming with my family evenly split in both industries. I am also only 15 minutes from the protest site and have lived here all my 45 years.
Now, to dispel one myth about pine forests. They have a diverse native species list with some protected native species managed by dedicated individuals. I know having worked for Carter Holt Harvey Forests (now Hancocks) the millions of dollars that are spent on conservation. It is not only a moral decision it is also an economic one with the company achieving FSC certification prior to being sold to Hancocks. If they are not certified then they cannot sell their produce. I know it is hard to convince people that have not worked in forestry and are used to only seeing areas of cutover.
It breaks the heart of foresters to see their trees being turned into dairy farms but economically, for some of that land this is the best use. Conversely there is farming land that should be in trees. I agree with the dairy farmers earlier comment. yes some of this land is hungry and hard to farm.
What both the farming and forest industry want is the ability to decide on appropriate use. If it is flat and fertile then farm it. If it is hilly and hungry or near high risk environmental areas then plant forests. Currently neither party will let a hectare of forest be cleared and replaced by new planting in a rougher area as compensation. If a realistic agreement can be gained on this approach then the conversion may continue but you will also see marginal land turned into forest as a balance. This is one thing both industries agree on but even united are not making any headway.