Climate Change: No wiggle room

Farmers are constantly whining at the thought of having to take even minimal measures to reduce emissions. But according to Climate Commissioner Rod Carr they no longer have any choice:

Dr Carr told hundreds of people - including farmers - at an agricultural climate change conference in Wellington today that for the agricultural sector there would be no way to wriggle out of slashing emissions.

He said in the past there had been a mindset in the agricultural sector that it should get exemptions because it was such an export powerhouse, but New Zealand's trading partners were increasingly making decisions based on the climate impact of products.

He said foreign regulators would not take kindly to exporters not pulling their weight, and this, combined with changing international consumers preferences, posed a much greater threat to business than local regulations.

Basicly, farmers can cut emissions in New Zealand, or their products can be border taxed and subjected to consumer boycotts by other countries. The former at least means they have some control over the process. Unfortunately, from the RNZ story, it seems that too many of them are still in deep, deep denial about this. But their whining about "financial sustainability" and being forced out of business misses the fact that this is now the point: we want dirty polluters who won't change to go under. The question is how many other people they take down with them.