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Wally Richards
Wally Richardshttp://www.gardenews.co.nz
Wally Richards has been a gardening columnist for over 30 years. Check his websites - for gardening news and tips visit www.gardenews.co.nz. For mail order products visit www.0800466464.co.nz. Wally also has a gardening problem help line on 0800 466 464.

Gardening with Wally Richards: Climate change

I remember about 15-20 years ago writing about pending climate change with temperatures forecast to rise and suggesting how great that will be as we will be able to grow more tropical type plants in NZ.

Also the good news back then was that places such as Iceland will have more crop growing land and be much better off.

Climate change news

I cannot remember any talk of man made climate change rather it was all to do with cycles that have been occurring for millions of years related to sunspots, volcanic activity, clouds and ocean tidal flows.

Our planet during recorded histories has seen ice ages, mini ice ages, massive flooding, droughts of epic proportions and good times weather.

Somehow or other we have as a species survived reasonably well through all that Nature has subjected us too.

Then it became Political.

Doom and gloom with oceans rising sinking Islands.

Now I remember at school in social studies, how we were shown that all of New Zealand’ has at times spent about much time under the sea as above it and then wondering if we were to need water wings before I was old enough to leave school.

We (NZ) are just the higher parts of a massive continent, most of which is under water currently.

Imagine the wealth and land we would have if that continent once again rose above sea level.

Likely the worst man made changes we have caused is Deforestation of too many natural canopies that have protected the soil and absorbed excess carbon.

Science tells us that in the past the planet has at times had extremely high levels of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a colorless and non-flammable gas at normal temperature and pressure.

Although much less abundant than nitrogen and oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere, carbon dioxide is an important constituent of our planet’s air. A molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) is made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.

When you inhale (breathe in), air enters your lungs and oxygen from the air moves from your lungs to your blood.

At the same time, carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from your blood to the lungs and is exhaled (breathe out).

Exposure to CO2 can produce a variety of health effects. These may include headaches, dizziness, restlessness, a tingling or pins or needles feeling, difficulty breathing, sweating, tiredness, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, coma, asphyxia, and convulsions.

A recommended way of calming down is to breath into a paper bag and then breath back in the stale air (CO2) which as a poison will subdue you.

If you cant find a paper bag then just wear a mask.

On the other hand CO2 is a must for plants which they love and the more they get the bigger they grow. Besides not only do our plants love CO2 but in taking it in they release oxygen which we love.

Is that not that a grand system? (Reason why we have indoor plants to provide higher levels of oxygen and absorb our bad breath).

When the planet’s air had high PPM of CO2 then gigantic forests of cycads and ferns grew and where did all the CO2 come from back then?

Volcanoes which erupted frequently on the younger planet.

If it was not for those events we would not have our fossil fuels today.

Nurseries growing crops in glasshouses will often use CO2 generators to increase the amount of CO2 in the glasshouse which in turns increases the growth of the crops.

Politically our farmers whom not only produce the food we eat but are a mainstay of our exports are under pressure to change their farming methods to reduce NZ emissions.

A bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I agree that some farming practices now days are very different to the way things were done say 60-70 years ago.

I always feel really sorry for cattle and sheep out in open fields suffering from the climate; no shade in hot sun, no shelter from the elements; rain, wind and cold.

Have you seen a sheep stand in front of a fence post to gain a few inches of shade from a hot sun?

In a natural setting animals would be roaming in tree or bush clad areas foraging for vegetation to eat while protected from the elements.

Not practical as you would need a lot of land for a small amount of stock.

I thought of a compromise recently and that is why not have ever green trees planted along part of fence lines of paddocks?

It would lessen the amount of grass grown overall but the health of the stock would improve as they would be able to shelter from the elements.

If the trees grown were weeping willows then not only would you have a large canopy of shelter but willow leaves are a good supplement food when grass is short.

Great for draining wet areas and very fast growing. You only need to cut a small branch and poke it into the ground in autumn and you will have a good sized tree come summer.

Carbon credits would help off set loses from other farming activities.

An area where farming has changed from 70 odd years ago when I was a boy on my uncle’s farm in Bell Block is; from smaller farms to large holdings today.

Back then a farmer like my Uncle had about 100 to 150 acres and ran about a hundred cows.

Farmers as such were considered well off they had a good lifestyle, made good money, expenses were low (not buying tons of fertiliser or big vet bills) which meant a healthy bottom line.

The soil in the paddocks was rich in earthworms and microbes, manure from stock was naturally broken down to feed the grass. The grass was highly nutritious so the stock was healthy.

No pollution of water ways and nitrogen from manure was feeding the grasses.

All that was needed occasionally would be a dressing of lime to keep the soil life happy and offset the acidity from urine and manure.

Thistles and weeds would be grubbed out, not sprayed with herbicides.

I would turn over a dried cow pad (manure) and gather a can of tiger worms to either go fishing for eels in the stream that flowed through one part of the farm or to feed to the chickens.

Hay making in summer ensured a barn full of hay bales for winter feed when grass growth was slow due to short day light hours.

A big vegetable garden, a pig sty with a few pigs fed with slops from the Dairy Factory (Curds and Whey). A different world and a better one.

Happy Gardening.

Postscript

On Friday saw an event in New Plymouth which one person present described.

‘I thought I’d give you a bit of info on today’s NP event.

There was a large meeting on the lawn opposite the Court House and many speeches were given. One of them, very impassioned by a severe vax damaged young girl.

Then papers were served to the Police to put them on notice to arrest Andrew Little on charges of criminal harm.

Not sure exactly what the charges were. Basically, the Police were told that if they do not arrest Andrew Little within 24 hours, that a citizen’s arrest will be made as soon as Little is found.

Apparently, there are people in different parts of the country to are willing and able to do this.’

The case was accepted by Debbie Gower Acting Inspector New Plymouth and a case Number 220203/2237 was issued. This means that the Police will now investigate and possibly issue charges of manslaughter and bodily harm against Little.

The people also endeavored to issue notice to the newspaper Daily News in New Plymouth and Stuff in regards to lies they have been printing from the Government in regards to Safety and Efficiency of Govt paid treatments (Jabs)

Word is that other politicians and Govt employees could also be held accountable from harm caused.

Interesting Times.

Links you may like to view:

To beat all logic there is a disclaimer saying: Medsafe advises people NOT to make any decisions about vaccination based on information contained in this report. If you have questions or concerns about receiving a vaccine, please speak to a health care professional.

Thats like saying here are all the people that have been harmed and how they have been harmed but dont take any notice of that instead talk to someone that is not allowed to say anything adverse on threat of losing their job?

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1 COMMENT

  1. Instead of having a tree line along a fence line would it not be better to have a tree line that is north/south orientated, even if it was in the middle of the paddock?
    Less shadow footprint.

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