Climate change: The impacts on New Zealand

The New Zealand Climate Change Centre has produced a handy summary of the expected impacts of climate change on New Zealand, base don the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. The short version:

• significant shifts in rainfall patterns and a rise in extreme rainfalls;
  
• droughts in northern and eastern New Zealand (the parts they're busy converting to dairy farming) will double or triple;
  
• A 400% increase in days with extreme fire risk by 2040, and 700% by 2090
  

So what's the government doing about this? Nothing. They're not interested in reducing emissions, and they've taken a hands-off approach to adaptation:

"We're not playing God on this. That natural process will determine what happens to adaptation of human beings and other mammals and species," he said.

So basically National is going to leave it to fire and flood to determine where we live. Which is pretty much their approach to the economy as well. Which makes you wonder what those fat ministerial salaries are being paid for, if the Ministers are unwilling to ever do anything.