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Notwithstanding doubters the evidence is overwhelming that man-induced global warming, or at least climate change, is happening. This, more than any other environmental issue, is an international challenge, and therefore requiring a strategy that transcends national boundaries. To date this has been relegated by nationalism. ‘Copenhagen’ is the evidence, if any is needed.
So why should we in Hawkes Bay wait for the collective of national governments to arrive at a consensus aimed at mitigating global warming by reducing greenhouse gases? We should not! Inaction is an abdication of our responsibilities to generations yet unborn!
Can we, the people of Hawkes Bay, respond to this challenge, and as a community take an initiative that could serve as an inspiration to other regions in New Zealand and beyond?
Given our dependence on the use of fossil fuels, and our economic reliance on methane-producing ruminating animals the reality is that in the foreseeable future it will be difficult to reduce our production of greenhouse gases. But there is something we can do, and that is to reduce the level of atmospheric CO2 through it being captured or ‘sequestered’ by trees.
Like most of the land masses of the world Hawkes Bay – and of course New Zealand generally - was naturally clothed in forest. This was largely destroyed through first, Maori fires, and later ruthlessly cleared by the European settler to make way for grass to feed livestock. In the first half of the last century forestry reached its nadir in Hawkes Bay. The land had been cleared for farming, native trees rather than plantation forest met our timber needs, and apart from parks, trees were conspicuously absent in our urban communities. Since then much afforestation and amenity tree planting has been established. Yes, it’s an inspiration, but it’s merely a beginning.
PROPOSAL
There are many institutions, driven by committed people that are working to establish trees in Hawkes Bay. They include:
• The Regional Council
• Territorial Authorities
• Government ministries (DoC, MfE, MAF, Crown research institutes)
• Private forestry interests (e g Pan Pac)
• Farm Forestry Association
• Queen Elizabeth II Trust, Nga Whenua Rahui
• Urban gardening groups and voluntary organisations (e g Sustaining H B Trust, Trees for H B, Maraetotara Tree Trust, Guthrie Smith Trust, Genesis Reforestation, Project Ti Kouka)
What I believe needs to be done is to entwine these threads into a single rope, the strength of which will be significantly stronger than the sum of those individual threads, and dedicate themselves to a comprehensive and cooperative afforestation strategy with the aim of, say, doubling the tree cover over Hawkes Bay by 2030. Their autonomy though would remain unaffected.
The Regional Council is the logical body that could provide the leadership that would give real effect to such an initiative. It would not require any serious expense for this is not about funding tree planting. Nor would it involve regulation; how do you make a person plant a tree, let along give it the establishment care and the management that it warrants?
This is not another tree planting project in that it is not aimed directly at cultivation trees, but at cultivating the cause, the ethos, the promise of trees. It would seek to make people want to plant trees. And it would back up that motivation with promotion, education and guidance so as to maximise the benefits of trees, while diminishing the disadvantages.
PROCESS
If this idea is accepted then I suggest that a Hawkes By Green Summit be held to which all interested parties be invited to consider the concept, and if accepted set strategies and targets. This would then become a permanent alliance that would have a conference annually, but be dynamic through an active committee and regular email reporting. To help excite the cause I would encourage a well produced and colourful newsletter illustration trees/forestry examples, both good and bad, and in Hawkes Bay and beyond.
There are many reasons to plant trees; some material but others moral. We must focus on the later, as the former is largely self-motivated.
This region is well endowed, but like any other it is also challenged. To leaf it up would enrich it emotionally and economically, but most of all it would make a determined contribution to safeguarding life for those who follow us. And further, it could be an inspirational example to other regions in New Zealand and abroad.