Activism and power poles

I’m an activist because I want tomorrows world to be a better place than it otherwise might be.  Climate change, and the way we are making our planet increasingly hostile to human beings is of real concern along with many other trends that I have been seeing for some time now.  I’m aware however that when I work from fear and anger,  I turn people off, which I suspect derails my intention to change things for the better of our future. 

I've come to see this as being a bit like the driver in a skid who focuses on the only power pole or tree for 100m and then crashes into it.  By letting fear drive me, I’m setting myself up to go exactly where I don’t want to. 

After thinking about this, I realise that my fear stems from the fact that I care a whole, awful lot (as Dr Seuss put it):  I care about the earth and it beauty, the forests. grasslands, trees mountains rivers and lakes I visit and I want to see all of it survive and thrive.  I want to see the people around me be happy and well. I want the children I know to have happy, healthy futures (as well as being happy now).  I want to live in a strong community that works well because of generosity and reciprocity, and where people like each other and help each other out.  I want my friends family and community to have the resilience to weather any storms or difficult events that we may experience.  I do care a whole lot! In fact, is there anyone out there who doesn't want this, I wonder and who doesn't care about these things.  

The trouble is that at this point in our history, we can't have this in our future and sustain the lifestyles we have now.  We need to  change, and we need to do it soon. 

Change is easier if it is voluntary and there is some time to make the change.  It feels difficult if it is forced on us and has to be done quickly.  How can we make our future better?  What is the best things we can do now to ensure our lovely children are healthy and happy both now and into the future?  How do we learn to be resilient in the face of adversity?  And how might we work for the sort of future that most of us want?

Droughts and Demands for Irrigation water

I noticed an article in the Press yesterday saying that we need to develop more irrigation through storing alpine water. 

Having looked a little at some of the history of irrigation projects in Canterbury, I can say that the author is one in a long line of Cantabrians who have called for more irrigation during droughts.  Droughts are things we have regularly in Canterbury, and like this one, they can come on the tail of wetter years where production has been higher. They are hard on farmers and those who service the agricultural sector.  No question.

However, it seems to me that irrigation does not even out variations in income that comes with droughts and other weather events.  Even with irrigation, Canterbury farmers have to farm to the season’s conditions.  Irrigation water costs.  It requires an increase in production during BOTH dry and "wet" years to pay for it.  No matter how you look at it, droughts hurt farming pockets and they always will.  It is not easy, but farming requires farmers to manage the natural systems and take the good with the bad.  Most do.  Check out Andrew Hoggards article today.   [I must point out here that I don't agree with all he says].

Many farmers still farm successfully without irrigation.  They farm conservatively and learn to manage to the season’s conditions.  Most don’t go out of business. Some excel in this environment: Examples include Doug Avery , and Mike Brosnan .    Interestingly Mike told me he didn't want to work more than 4 days per week or to take on staff,  and he wanted to double the size of his sheep flock.  He achieved both, farming organically and moving away from grass as the main green feed and using deep rooted lucerne, salt bush, shelter and different grazing management to improve production. 

Looked at this way, droughts cause farmers to push for more irrigation but the evidence suggests tha all the irrigation in the world will not stop droughts.  Calling for more irrigation in drought years is simply a call for being able to get more irrigation to increase production in any year.  The rhythms of drought and flood will continue, regardless, along with their effect on our income as a country.  If primary production is a mainstay of our economy, this fluctuation in fortune in relation to the weather is something we just have to accept, if not now then when we have have passed the limits of our water use and degraded all our water.