100 years ago reports brought up to date
ONE hundred years ago the ODT reported severe flooding in the Taieri and Molyneux Rivers due to the removal of native vegetation wherever possible for the draining and grassing of the back country (ODT, 6.6.17). In the lower reaches flooding was especially severe — disastrous according to your comment, due to the buildup of large quantities of silt, and local drainage projects. These observations as to the impact of land and wetland clearance were made by farmers themselves and most of those suffering these floods were farming people.
Yet, with a further century of land clearance passed, we find on page 3 in the same edition of the ODT Federated Farmers arguing for greater freedom to clear what little still remains of native vegetation and habitat. Given the damaging impacts already recognised 100 years ago we must ask the federation exactly what is the balance it is advocating for? Wasn’t it tipped sometime early in the 20th century?
Farming and environmentalism are not two different but essentially similar activities on a list along with things such as house building, school teaching, bread making or clothing fabrication. All these and many more take place within one environment, which everybody shares and impacts. At some point, hopefully soon, the federation must acknowledge that a degraded environment affects everybody including farmers who lose soil, suffer droughts and get flooded. A healthy environment does not exist alongside and in uneasy balance with healthy farming; it is absolutely essential if there is to be any kind of future for farming. Selwyn Yeoman
Dunedin
THERE was an interesting juxtaposition in the ODT (6.6.17) of news items from the ‘‘100 years ago — from our archives’’ column and Grant Macgregor’s letter on 1080 and kea. Concern was expressed 100 years ago at severe flooding in the lower Taieri with the blame put on the draining and grassing of the back country. Also the dairy industry was urging the Government to cease the export of native white pine and we read that mallard ducks, introduced by acclimatisation societies, were hybridising with the native grey duck. Today the result is that there are now very few, if any, pure grey duck to be found here. Grant Macgregor criticises Doc for the use of 1080 because he sees that it will further harm kea. There are fewer than 5000 of this unique alpine parrot in the wild. We are now in this parlous situation, not because of
‘‘plain stupid’’ Doc (sic) but because, from 1891 to 1970 there was a bounty on kea with at least 150,000 killed. It appears, 100 years ago, there was some wellinformed opinion on the cause of environmental issues such as flooding, the greedy milling of native timber and the loss of a native bird species. I hope in another 100 years, the writings of Messrs Macgregor and Eckhoff are not seen as the norm for informed opinion about this most serious conservation issue — the disappearance of our native birds caused by introduced mammalian predators.
Warren Jowett
Kew
Israel
I WRITE in support of Hans Rosloot (ODT letters, June 6). It is not only his views on Israel that have made me read fewer of Gwynne Dyer’s biased columns. He is so smug with his own importance that one does not have to read the article to know which side of any topic he will support and he is unable or unwilling to present both sides of a debate. I think the ODT would be a better paper with less Dyer and more balanced debate on the issues of today. R. Nisbet
St Kilda ....................................
BIBLE READING: Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty. — Psalms 24.8.