Environment

On the front page of Monday’s paper I see a report about a meeting in Geraldine on river water problems and I’m sure there are many.

But right next to it was a picture of people lining up to learn about driving milk tankers.

Since the first humans arrived in New Zealand we have made an impact on the country.

The first humans built fires and harvested moa and other food sources, they cleared land to grow their crops and build the villages. Then arrived the next lot and the clearing of land got into top gear.

As a country we get most of our living from the land either by farming it or showing it to our visitors. It’s easy to scream dirty dairy and point the finger at the first mob of cows one sees, and the problem has been going on for a long time.

But by putting introduced fish into our rivers and great mobs of ducks puddling up the side streams we have upset the balance, and damming rivers and putting roads and bridges through river beds and swamps hasn’t helped.

When the first human defecated in the riverbed they upset the balance.

We cannot live here and take our living from the land and not make an impact.

The difference that the dairy boom has made to rural Canterbury is great, with a lot more jobs and better pay. Those people who went to the Fonterra open day were looking to better the lives of their families.

It’s only in a wealthy country that you can afford to look after the environment. I’m sure with the many people looking after the rivers we can and will be able to get a balance but it may take some time and in the meantime we all have to earn a living. ROSS F BROWN Waimate