The environment, the ecosystem and human health and well-being must take precedence over profit in human endeavour.
Pollution of our environment is caused by human activity and is something we can, and urgently need to, put significant resources into reducing. Many of the measures below will contribute to a significant reduction in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Social Credit will:
Scrap the Emissions Trading Scheme and any carbon taxes.
This is just another financial fraud, and is costing taxpayers billions of dollars. The climate has now been monetised, and opened up to speculation, and that has not contributed one iota to a reduction in emissions. Allowing an overseas purchaser profit from buying food producing farmland at above market prices to plant trees solely to produce carbon credits that are sold off to big polluters to allow them to continue doing what they currently do is utter madness.
Make Reserve Bank credit available to businesses, territorial authorities, farmers, and other groups willing to implement projects to reduce pollution.
Territorial authorities pour millions of litres of partially treated sewage and waste water into the country’s lakes, rivers, and coastal seas because they don’t have the funding, or the ability to tax ratepayers more, to build proper treatment plants. Water from treatment plants should be of sufficient quality to not degrade the environment into which it is discharged.
Many farmers cannot afford to fence off waterways and plant trees and shrubs to filter water entering them, and stabilise banks at the rate they wish to. Runoff entering the waterways should be of sufficient quality to not degrade the aquatic environment.
Manufacturers need to update processes and make use of artificial intelligence and computerised equipment to assist with reduction in energy use and pollution.
Fund a substantially expanded network of farm advisors to provide the expertise and backup for implementing re-generative farming practices so that overstocking of farms can be scaled back without loss of income to farmers.
The focus on producing herbage from just one type of grass (ryegrass) and the requirement to apply nitrogen fertiliser, reduces soil quality, and produces a farm product that is nutritionally sub-standard. Pastures should contain diverse species of different grasses and clovers.
Fertilisers and chemicals that cause a loss of, or disruption to, soil or human biology will be either heavily taxed or banned from use on land.
Edible trees should be planted on farmland at a rate that gives substantial crown cover when the tree has reached early maturity. Some trees could eventually have timber uses while also providing shade and shelter, fodder diversification for livestock, encouragement for the return of birds, and return carbon dioxide, humus and other nutrients back to the soil through root systems and fungus.
Re-establish areas of native forest and flora in specific land-appropriate areas.
Focus will be on establishing large riparian strips to protect waterways (Refer the Raglan [Whaingaroa Harbour Care Society] project Whaingaroa HarbourCare - website) as well as regenerating large forests to stabilise land, protect waterways from sedimentation, enhance the environment, give homes to native bird species and function as a carbon sink.
Areas of elite soils and prime agricultural land will be avoided for this purpose.
Establish a Sustainable Energy Commission
Its function will be to -
a. Investigate alternative sources of energy and encourage and monitor energy research (government and private).
b. Have regulatory responsibility for all fuel use, and to recommend and have surveillance over conservation measures.
c. Investigate and recommend suitable projects for very low interest loans, such as - alternative fuel plants and installations, carbon-capture technology, fossil fuel replacement technologies, turning plastic back into its constituent chemicals for re-use, producing plant based alternatives to plastic, and energy farming using renewable resources.
Introduce new household and industrial rubbish disposal schemes and implement a Container Deposit Scheme
Plastic in our oceans has reached epidemic proportions and poses major risks to the aquatic environment, the sea’s relationship with the climate, sea creatures, fish stocks and human health.
A container deposit scheme on all plastic and glass bottles and jars is urgently needed. Plastic recycling plants already in operation (for PET for example) are sourcing feed-stocks from overseas due to insufficient stocks here. Reserve Bank credit will be made available to territorial authorities to put appropriate recycling and deposit refund schemes into operation.
No new consents for rubbish dumps will be permitted. They generate methane, said to be the worst of greenhouse gases, CO2, and have the possibility of leaching toxic chemicals into waterways, killing fish and plant life.
Waste to Energy plants will recover significantly greater material for re-use and composting/bio-digestion of food waste will be introduced. Existing rubbish dumps will be closed as soon as the new methods of rubbish re-use are operational.
Provide Reserve Bank funding for public transport and rail freight infrastructure.
Significant government investment is needed to improve transport infrastructure. Light rail, improved bus networks, fare-free urban transport, and long distance high speed trains will assist with getting cars off the roads.
Electrified main rail routes and re-vitalised feeder lines will reduce the number of heavy trucks on the roads, reduce accident potential, and reduce significant spending on road maintenance and upgrading.
These measures will reduce exhaust and tyre pollution, while electric and hydrogen powered vehicles come on-stream.
Progressively re-purchase privatised power companies and support energy conservation.
Our modern society is dependent on electricity. The sale of power generating and retail supply energy companies has resulted in much higher prices to the benefit of often wealthy (overseas) investors. Our aim is to provide cheaper energy for the consumer by re-purchasing those essential suppliers and moving to fully renewable energy generation (including geo-thermal), reducing pollution from non-renewable sources.
Incentives will be provided for consumers, industries, and communities to install localised solar generation and sell surplus back to the grid, and for Waste to Energy plants.
We will promote energy conservation such as double glazing, active and passive solar heating, insulation, and better thermal design.
Support local authorities with climate related infrastructure works.
Local authority infrastructure will need significant investment due to the effects of our changing climate. Low interest loans or grants may be made available where, for example, due to sea level rise, land level reduction as a result of earthquakes, or storm damage, infrastructure needs repair or rebuilding. (eg the Fox Glacier rubbish tip disaster or West Coast South Island land loss due to sea activity).