Today, Auckland Now reported:
A man cannot survive on onions alone.
It's interesting that nobody has declared any official droughts in New Zealand yet, being that the conditions are so dry. Perhaps this has something to do with them not wanting to raise concerns about climate change, which is assuredly contributing to the dryness.
Also today, the NZ Herald reported:
However there's still no mention of climate change from the mainstream media in any of their articles... They obviously expect us to believe that such extreme conditions occur every century or so and there's nothing unusual about having green fields turning into deserts.
It's unfortunate that the MSM is ignoring the fact that a severe drought happened in New Zealand only four years ago, which badly effected farmers and had a huge detrimental impact on our economy.
They seem to believe that January this year being the driest on record has nothing to do with climate change and it's "normal" to have things like a tornado season in Auckland every year.
Despite the denial that's apparent from the media and our current government, many institutions around the world now consider climate change to be a serious threat, so it would be good to at least have some public discussion in New Zealand.
The total media blackout on the issue of climate change must end.
The green tops of Howe Young's carrots are turning yellow, the roots pushing their shoulders out of the hard soil. They should have been ready to pull a fortnight ago but he's still waiting for them to reach full size.
Pumpkins are "aborting" on the vine and those that do survive are covered in little scabs, remnants of attacks by heat-loving insects.
The relentless dry summer has been great for the onion harvest but not much else, the market gardener said.
A man cannot survive on onions alone.
Karaka in summer is always dry but rainfall on the property is 60 to 70 per cent below normal.
Auckland Council company Watercare said rainfall in the Hunua Ranges for February so far stood at 27 millimetres compared with an average of 109mm.
"We're waiting for the experts to tell us whether we're in a drought or not," Young said.
"Maybe they should ask the farmers. It is a bloody drought."
It's interesting that nobody has declared any official droughts in New Zealand yet, being that the conditions are so dry. Perhaps this has something to do with them not wanting to raise concerns about climate change, which is assuredly contributing to the dryness.
Also today, the NZ Herald reported:
Gisborne city's water shortage problem deepened today as the District Council moved to a higher water alert and banned the use of domestic sprinklers.
Water levels in the Mangapoike dams are lower than they have been at this time of year for 15 years and now half the water flowing out of taps comes from the emergency back-up source, the Waipaoa River.
Niwa's long-term weather forecast predicts dry conditions in the district over the next three months.
Council water team leader Marcus Koll said the council viewed the situation very seriously.
However there's still no mention of climate change from the mainstream media in any of their articles... They obviously expect us to believe that such extreme conditions occur every century or so and there's nothing unusual about having green fields turning into deserts.
It's unfortunate that the MSM is ignoring the fact that a severe drought happened in New Zealand only four years ago, which badly effected farmers and had a huge detrimental impact on our economy.
They seem to believe that January this year being the driest on record has nothing to do with climate change and it's "normal" to have things like a tornado season in Auckland every year.
Despite the denial that's apparent from the media and our current government, many institutions around the world now consider climate change to be a serious threat, so it would be good to at least have some public discussion in New Zealand.
The total media blackout on the issue of climate change must end.
