New Zealand: Sheep Bad, Trees Good

www.theguardian.com...

Now, sheep country is in sharp decline. Across the country, farm after farm is transitioning to lucrative pine forestry, fuelled by demand for carbon credits. Under New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme, landowners can earn credits – which can be traded or sold – for activities that absorb carbon dioxide. Farmland sold for forestry conversion can now fetch prices several times higher than its previous value as agricultural land. Over tens of thousands of hectares, wire fences are being ripped out and the paddocks studded with dark bushels of pine seedlings. New Zealand’s total flock number has fallen from more than 70 million in the 1980s to just 26 million today. This year, the ratio of sheep to people slipped below 5:1 for the first time since records began.

the elites are loving this. Meat is Bad, so its good to be rid of the sheep. and of course trees will save us from Global Warming. they think.

the world is hungry so I'm thinking produce all the food we can. they are willfully reducing a food source. will this really make things better?

imho at least they could grow nuts or fruit. pines are pretty useless

a reply to: ElGoobero

Sheep. Mutton and leg of lamb.

Trees. Make fire to cook and table to eat lamb .

a reply to: ElGoobero
Switching to monoculture pine forests huh?
Well thats really great for the soil and biodiversity!
Yes that was sarcasm.

The pine tree plantations around here are from planting in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. They were planted over the tallgrass prairie lands that became a dust bowl after farming in the late 1800's. There is nothing but rows of pine trees with pine needles covering the ground that kill everything but mushrooms and other fungus.

It's good for nothing but making utility poles with the now mature trees. The forest service has since been clearing and thinning those plantations out and allowing the prairies and oak barrens to come back. They have burned some areas as well to stimulate the prairie grasses and kill off the woody plants and trees. A grassland can sequester almost as much as a forest can and it supports a diversity of wildlife as well as now rare or endangered plants and animals. Not sure how much carbon a pasture or regular farm field will lock up, but it couldn't be far behind a natural grassland.

a reply to: ElGoobero

I hope these folks remember, velcro gloves don't work on trees.

I hope they are at least planting trees native to the region when they plant them...oh wait, I am being nuts questioning this because people running these climate change programs have little common sense. They are probably planting pines that grow half way around the world that do not belong there but look pretty.

They better not get rid of my lambs. Most of our delicious rack of lamb we get comes from NZ

a reply to: ElGoobero

originally posted by: rickymouse
I hope they are at least planting trees native to the region when they plant them...oh wait, I am being nuts questioning this because people running these climate change programs have little common sense. They are probably planting pines that grow half way around the world that do not belong there but look pretty.

they're probably planting seedlings provided by the vendor that donated most to the Labour Party.