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Dr Muriel Newman

Time for a Reality Check


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In the recent European Parliamentary elections, where 27 European Union member countries voted for 720 MPs, there was a significant shift in voter support away from the left –  including from parties prioritising climate change.

What’s notable is that this included young voters.

The result was in sharp contrast to the 2019 election where young people had swung towards pro-environmental parties with such enthusiasm, they became known as the “Greta Generation”, after the Swedish teenage climate fanatic Greta Thunberg.

But in 2024, young voters spearheaded the “greenlash” – a backlash against Europe’s obsession with climate alarmism. Their reaction was in response to the negative impact of  extremist policies, and a growing scepticism towards claims humans are responsible for climate change – and bad weather.

With the war in the Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis top concerns across Europe, the green movement’s attack on farmers and other food producers played a key role in turning off voters.

It had also become clear to many that the greatest cost burden of the climate extremism promoted by well-to-do elitist urbanites pushing their anti-growth “reset” falls on the poorest in society. The hypocrisy of elites flying business class to warm locations while preaching the perils of climate change, was not lost on those who can’t afford the electricity bills to heat their homes. 

With soaring energy prices across Europe causing voters to question the wisdom of abandoning fossil fuels, of banning new oil and gas heating systems, and of a planned prohibition on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, many parties backed away from sweeping climate promises.

The plan to make the EU climate neutral by 2050 was the focus of much of the backlash, with critics claiming, “Green policies from green parties didn’t work in reality. They wanted higher targets, they were too ambitious.”

New Zealand has the same problem. While we are essentially clean and green – a tiny country surrounded by ocean sitting at the bottom of the world – in true Orwellian fashion, we too have become captive to an extremist climate narrative. Pushed by an elitist cabal that includes politicians, journalists, and academics, they claim New Zealand is causing so much harm to the planet that drastic action is needed – even though the measures they are proposing will decimate our farming sector.

This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator Owen Jennings, the convenor of the Methane Science Accord and a former Federated Farmers President and Member of Parliament, outlines the problem: 

“Imagine arguing over the difference between 4 millionths of one degree of warmth and 5 millionths.  Something that can’t be measured even with sophisticated technical equipment.  Pretty stupid?

“But now imagine if the outcome of that argument adversely affected 25% of all our dairy production and a big chunk of our meat and wool sector.  Get the argument wrong and it cripples farming and devastates the economy.

“Farcical?  Absurd? 

“Get used to it.  Seemingly, otherwise intelligent, sane individuals with science degrees, powerful positions in the Government are head down, seriously trying to figure out whether the heavy hand of the State should force farmers to reduce their alleged warming of the planet by a millionth or two of a degree.

“Of course, these same great intellectuals don’t talk about millionths of a degree.  They talk about millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas. That sounds much more foreboding. That focus is more likely to worry the population especially young people. Folk might scoff at debates over millionths of a degree.”

And here’s where Owen has hit the nail on the head.

The whole climate change narrative is based on scaremongering to hide the fact that the two main greenhouse gases being demonised are essential for life as we know it.

Carbon dioxide
plays a crucial role in photosynthesis: absorbed by plants and combined with water, it traps the sun’s energy, creating the food that all living creatures need.

And methane – a trace gas found in only minute quantities in the atmosphere – is produced by microbes in the rumen of cows and sheep as they digest plant cellulose to release that trapped energy that’s then converted into the milk and meat that form the basis of our food chain.

Over time, methane breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, that are recycled to feed the plants, that feed the animals, that feed the planet.

Basic mathematics reveals climate scaremongering is a lie. Any increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere does not cause an escalation in the temperature of the planet. The reason is that the relationship between greenhouse gas concentrations and air temperature is logarithmic, not linear. That means increasing gas concentrations lead to ever-smaller temperature increases.

Princeton University’s Emeritus Professor of Physics William Happer explains the logarithmic forcing of carbon dioxide: “Each additional increase of CO2 in the atmosphere causes a smaller and smaller change in temperature. Doubling CO2 concentrations from 400 parts per million to 800 ppm – a 100 percent increase – would only diminish the thermal radiation to space by about 1 percent. We could emit as much CO2 as we like, with little warming effect. There is no climate emergency. No threat at all.

It’s a similar story with methane – as British climate researcher Dr Wilson Flood explains: “The absorption of energy diminishes logarithmically as concentration increases. Doubling of atmospheric methane concentration… would produce very little warming. Methane levels are not rising rapidly and present no conceivable threat of any kind. At present rates the atmospheric methane concentration would need 360 years to double.”

He makes the point, that since “farm animals cannot contribute to global warming in any discernible way, research into altering the diet of farm animals to reduce dietary methane is hugely wasteful of resources.”

Yet that hasn’t stopped governments pouring vast taxpayer resources – including another $400 million announced this month – into developing mechanisms to reduce ruminant methane, involving methane inhibitor vaccines, genetically modified foods, and selective breeding for reduced methane – instead of for increased milk, meat and wool production.

Advocates of these ‘science solutions’ appear oblivious to the deep-seated concern of farmers that such remedies to this non-existent problem risk undermining their industry’s hard-earned reputation for having the lowest carbon footprint in the world -through natural farming practices – potentially destroying our key export markets in the process.  

To make matters worse, last year the Labour Government set up AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture with the private sector which intends investing a further $180 million into methane reduction over the next four years.

While Labour successfully persuaded the country’s main farming businesses such as Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, and Ravensdown – along with the major trading banks – to be ‘good corporate citizens’ and join the partnership, they too appear oblivious to the fact that their involvement may end up harming the industry instead of supporting it.

Ironically, while it is the Government’s commitment to the United Nations Paris Agreement that is driving the zero carbon agenda, their planned use of methane inhibitors will be in direct breach of Article 2, which prohibits governments from introducing any measures that would “threaten food production”.

The impact of greenhouse gases is determined by their global warming potential – how much warming they produce compared with carbon dioxide. For methane, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calculated it to be 28: methane, they claim, is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

But Dr Wilson Flood’s research refutes that claim: “Molecule for molecule, methane is 7 times more effective at being a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”

In 2021, the IPCC agreed – on page 1016 of Chapter 7 of their Sixth Assessment Report they concurred: “…expressing methane emissions as CO2 equivalent of 28, overstates the effect on global surface temperature by a factor of 3-4.”

Since methane makes up almost half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions profile, the implications of this correction are profound – as energy expert Bryan Leyland explains:

“If New Zealand accepted the latest information from the IPCC technical reports that tells us that the climate effects of methane have been overestimated by a factor of four, farm emissions would no longer be a problem.

“Which leads to the obvious solution: abandon net zero, abandon the emissions trading scheme, stop subsidising electric cars, forget about agricultural greenhouse gases and rejoice that the increasing levels of carbon dioxide are making our plants grow better and making us all more prosperous. It would also save the billions of dollars we are squandering on a totally futile effort to change the world’s climate.”

Instead remedying the situation, by replacing the incorrect value for methane with the correct one, the government has done nothing – the ‘methane problem’ is still misrepresented as being four times worse than it really is.

While it’s perhaps understandable that a Labour Government led by a radical socialist in cahoots with the fanatical Greens might want to ignore revelations that would expose her ‘climate emergency’ designation for New Zealand as the farce that it is, there is absolutely no excuse for the Coalition doing the same.

That’s especially the case when the amount of money being wasted on green initiatives that will have zero effect on the climate is truly eye watering: according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, in the last financial year government agencies spent $1.1 billion on “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.”

If common sense and realism prevailed, that money could be far better spent on things that really matter – and last week provided a reality check about just how vulnerable and third world our infrastructure has become: our Air Force couldn’t safely transport our Prime Minister overseas; our Cook Straight ferry has broken down again; a pylon failure caused the loss of power to the whole of the Northland region; not to mention cyclone-destroyed roads and bridges that cut off families over a year ago that still haven’t been repaired.

Even the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is now speaking out against green madness, recently highlighting five inconvenient home truths:

“Let’s start with inconvenient truth number one. We can close polluting industries, but in most cases we will simply import the goods that rely on them from other countries.

“Inconvenient truth number two. Under certain conditions, we must be willing to entertain environmentally damaging activities like mining. The metals have to come from somewhere.

“My third inconvenient truth is that calling for green growth isn’t the easy economic and environmental win some people imagine.

“The fourth inconvenient truth is that any change – even a clean green one – is costly. Green growth is pitched as a win-win all round, but even when that is true economically and environmentally, there are usually losers socially.

“My fifth inconvenient truth is that degrowth won’t be an easy sell either.”

Simon Upton was right to raise these matters. For too long sensible criticism of global warming zealotry has resulted in critics being labelled as ‘climate deniers’ and cancelled.

In fact, our former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern even went so far as likening climate-change scepticism to a ‘weapon of war’, implying critics were a threat that should be silenced.

Fortunately, the new Government is sweeping aside the Ardern lunacy – and the insanity of the Greens – through a range of initiatives including encouraging mining, re-opening oil and gas exploration, and removing subsidies on electric cars. But they need to go much further to repair the damage that’s been done.

Just as Europe is experiencing a greenlash, similar sentiments are brewing here. That means the Coalition needs to show real leadership: they should reset the global warming potential of methane to its correct value as a priority – to free the country from unjustifiable climate restrictions and release funding for better use.

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THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:

*Do you believe a ‘greenlash’ against climate alarmism is brewing in New Zealand?

 

*Poll comments are posted below.

 

*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.

 

Click to view x 120

THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS

Probably… not much of a concern, but the’Radical Maori lash’, against so called ‘colonialism’, is of much bigger concern and cannot and should not be ignored, at our peril !!David
Maybe I am just hoping so. No body wants to listen but Brian Leyland also quotes that manmade green house gasses represent less than 0.4% of the worlds green house gases. The balance comes from natural events like volcanic eruptions and sea water evaporation. Why the current coalition does not make a stand on the inaccuracies of social and media is beyond me.mike
But the government is ignoring it and following the flawed agenda of climate catastrophe.Vic
thank goodnesssue
There is no doubt the new Government has started moving in the right direction. I also think that with the increase of scepticism across the globe we should be moving slightly faster in that direction. People are sick and tired of the bleatings of a few noisy hypocrites that have and continue to use misinformation to convince everyone else that the end of the world is near, instead of following reasonable science. So come on Mr Luxon, Mr Peters and Mr Seymour your opportunity to discard the rot and build a nation.Rob
Its been proven time and time again, is complete rubbish, as yr article pionts out.Tony
God I hope so – I cant understand the logic of our “leaders” who tell insist that human caused climate change is real – did they not do science at school?Roy
Ardern is aggressively anti commonsense so, of course this airhead believes in this ridiculous climate alarmism.Monica
The Cold Truth a movie on Climate Change and a must see, on Face Book. Great viewing and a must see in commonsense format.Geoff
I certainly hope so. Those intending to put themselves forward as candidates for a general election should be compelled to state their views on the scam that is climate change. Then the voters would be able to know which party has the most gullible air heads and avoid them like the plague.Terry
I would really hope so,the greens were labeled idiots years ago,and the label is just as suited today as it was then. Too many scientists today say climate change is a normal occurrence.Peter
Well I cincerely hope this happens but for it to truely work then the facts have to be promoted through our mainstream mediaBryan
And it is real and about time.Joanne
It has become a jokeJan
No. There are still too many people who are in a gullible state of mind that only accept without fact checking that somehow our tiny so called emissions are having a significant impact on the our part of this planet. I see that quite a number of climate scientists reckon that we are facing a prolonged period of cooling soon. We can put up with a little bit of warming but we can’t deal to global freezing. Now that would be the end if that were to be really a significantly freezing of our whole planet.Garry.
People are waking to the fact they are been hoodwinked.Gary
And not before timeGlyn
If I go by my own greenlash….it has been boiling for some time.ken
Sure is. Still waiting for the seas to rise! If this Climate Change ‘warming’ scam is as true to what it is, why are coastal properties still going up in value, surely everyone would be fleeing by now.Darryl
Yes. Time to put this Climate change scam to rest.Janine
Its hard to believe anything these days. So many false or corupt figures out there. Nothing but assumptions and lies from green party or are they the 2nd maori party? Who would know. Stop all these alarmist parties now.Allan
Hell yesJohn
Our farmers already have strong economic incentives to be more efficient since 1984 when farm subsidies were removed. This has forced our farmers to continually reduce their carbon emissions. Unfortunately, nearly all countries still have farming subsidies. Other countries should stop preaching at us about climate change and get on with getting rid of their inefficient farming subsidies.Kent
I believe that the backlash against the left, the loonies, and the racists, will spread till full on civil war is going to errupt in n.z. The coalition has to get some spine…. deal to them!!!David
Most sane people could see this would be the eventual outcome for the greens many years ago!David
It is way past time to kick political climate change into touch. The planet and the sun will decide on what the climate will be not human activity. We also need to start thinking about whether the UN is fit for purpose.Hugh
it is time a stop was put to this climate alarm lunacy.Andrew
I sure hope soShirley
I certainly hope soGraeme
When Donald Trump is President again, he will yank the US out of the UN Paris Agreement again. Hopefully it will never be revived again as people realise the alarmism scam and other countries will leave as well.Monica
I do not know how strong the ‘greenlash’ is here but I certainly people, including the Green Party, will come to their senses, and that our government will follow the science as outlined in this NZCPR column and other places.Pieter
NO. Hopefully we are not all ostriches with our heads in the sand although we would be better off reducing our dairy herd and replacing a large number of them with ostriches for the well being of our whenua.Gary
Boutique time we’ve waited 40 years for something to happen and it hasn’tCraig
And not before time. Still not enough mention of the $30 billion gift to the IPCC / UN for our climate sins, not that only the Western countries pay a climate tax to the IPCC and are supposed to decimate their industries at the same time.Mike
At least I certainly hope it is,John
It-is ridiculous!!David
It’s about time too.Christine
Far from a sure thing. The woke always ignore facts.mary
Yes absolutely and it can’t come soon enough, C’C as it’s being pitched is just a marxist myth and like the various ‘pandemics ‘ which seem to be everywhere all of a sudden it’s all being utilized to keep the population frightened, compliant to govt wishes and ideologies, poor and in control.Flip
Yes & no. A very long way to go especially the younger ones. Common sense and logic are not part of the education. Fear is so easy to sell.Sam
Yes they are waking up to the reality of an incredible lie. I think James Shaw has be aware of the continued scary hype that the media and paid idiots to purport made made GLOBAL WARMING as it was originally called.Leon
The only poisonous gas the people of New Zealand have to worry about is the stuff Belched out by Te pati maori and the Waitangi Tribunal. 1 LAW FOR ALLGlyn
While I don’t believe it will happen because there are a lot of young NZers who will naively continue to supported the green movement. It has already happened for me as for the first time I did not vote green in the last election because the NZ Green Party is no longer primarily about the environment for it has been completely hijacked by sexist, racist Maori radicals, plus they are completely off target when it comes to the environment, nonsense ideas that don’t help the world wide environment one little bit.John
Not yet – but it could be soon as poverty beckons for many – that is, with a little help from government politics? The three questions that may help them are these:- 1. Does CO2 have a shelf life – ANS: YES. 2. What happens to CO2 at the end of its shelf life? – ANS: It turns into O2 er! Oxygen! 3. Last question; Where does the planet get its O2 (Oxygen) from? – ANS: From CO2 er! (Carbon Dioxide) # There is a “Blocked Brain” belief that the oceans create it. But the oceans simply store about 50% of the planet’s supply – after mother nature makes it there too. The real question is how did we let the biggest fraud of the 21st Century happen? – ANS: We were suckered by socialist politics using fear to gain political power and control. The truth is that the planet is slowly losing its O2 (Oxygen) supply – so obviously we need more CO2 not less!Frederick
The sooner the better. Remember, food production is what we need, not crazy, unrealistic ideas and worse still crazy, unrealistic targets.Paloma
People are starting to wake up to those that are forcing restrictions on how we should reduce our use of fossil fuels and all other so-called nasties like extracting coal and walking to work tome these people like Ale Gore and our greens who are some of the worst offenders and blame our primary sector who are the backbone of our economy so to me all those greenies and those fringe anties can get stuffed.ken
The whole of this Climate change (which started as “Global Warming, until they found in around 1992 the planet temp leveled off) is a total scam, invented by those wanting to institute a “One World Government”. They said they would never be able to pull that off “unless we can get the vast majority of the population, united around one thing”; -hence Climate Change. An Australian scientist has calculated Australia’s contribution to the Co2 emissions, with all of their coal fired power generators etc. The result? – he claims Australia contributes 0.00001% of the worlds Co2. I reckon NZ could easily add another zero into that. So what really, is all the fuss about?Ted
hopefullyjohn
Unfortunately not – too many people unthinkingly buy the AGW story as presented – no matter how often its predictions fail!!Gail
Green is Marxism in disguise. Always was always will.Richard
And about time.Mark
I certainly hope so or we are all stuffed!Bob
About timeAstrid
Need to reach the brainwashed youth who are not taught real science or real anything any moreAnn
I would like to see more people understand the facts and then we would have a ‘greenlash’. The media are so left wing it will take some time for the tide to turn.graeme
Here is a good example of greenlash. Nelson was told by its greeney zealots that it would be underwater within 20years. The 20 years is up now. The people are not stupid and voted to rid the Greens at the last election. The mess and disinformation these idiots propound will signal the end to them at the next election. The end to the enormous cost to our country trying to be all clean and green of which it always has been and will continue without the idiotic Greens policies.Murray
Definitely, as people become more aware of the sham that it is.Robert
I hope that it is and that it is sustainablePeter
Yes, I think people are waking up to it.Kim
Climate change culture was developed by the UN to get Countries to Submit Funds to boost UN Income. It is a Money Making Scam. I sincerely hope and believe that this Greenlash is brewing in NZ, because you cannot fool and deceive all the people all the time. !!Pierre
ABOUT TIMESHERYL
The climate scam is akin to the Covid scam, but seems to be operating on a much longer timescale. Far too many have been well and truly taken in by this con-job.Russ
100%Rob
Since becoming an adult I’ve heard the mantra “the world is ending” and the clam that all humanity will be flooded in 10 years. that was some 40 years ago & my feet are still dry! The most recent is Saint Greta the great climate change activist proclaiming that in June 2018 we will all be wiped out unless we stop using fossil fuels in the next 5 years! So 5 years down the track & we are still here, so eventually the lies always catch up with the evangelists & believers lose faith because they live in the real world.John
About timeDavid
All of it, part of the ‘BIGGER PLAN’ FOR WORLD GOVT, CONTROL, so as to extort aheap of $$$, for the WEF/WHO ELITE, before they sent the next PANDEMIC!!David
Time to wake upYanna
If it has not started to arrive already.Brenton
Yes. At long last . Luxon had better watch out or he will be a one team primeminister.Sydney
Let’s get on with it!!! NOW !!Rayner
There has always been a backlash against this absurdity by those of the public with a good education and the ability to think for themselves. Unfortunately, with very few exceptions, we, the voting public are not presented with candidates with those qualities, e.g., Luxon, Willis and most others towing their parties lines.Alan
I hope so!!Karlene
I don’t know whether there is a greenlash brewing. I hope there is – I’ve been hoping for one for about 40 years. But I regret to say that the alarmist doctrine still seems to be deeply ensconced.Steve
Not a moment too soon, the climate alarmist agenda is about power, politics and money and poor scienceBen
Of course. Truth will out!Andrew
One can only hope so but unfortunately the lefties & greenies have already caused untold damage to the NZ economy by their misguided “thinking”. Well that is being overtely kind to their fairy pie in the sky brains.Dane
would certainly like to think that intelligence and common sense can prevailjohn
The most fundamental things is that the Paris Accord said that No measure should interfere with food production. But Ardern buried that in with all the other spin that the ignorant woman spouted.She was not Prime Ministerial material; she was a low grade PR functionary who quit when nz decided they didn’t like her. However, I wish Luxon would be more strident in cutting back on co-governance- he is very weak.Laura
I hope so. I’ve been a climate denier for a long time, just as I was sceptical of the so called jab con. What’s next, bird flu? No such thing, but they’ve slaughtered animals and millions of poultry to make their point. Grow up NZgovt. Where is Seymour on this? He’s too quiet me thinks. As for Luxflake, when will the public he’s been placed as PM, not by the voters, but by the WEF, where he is getting ever wealthier in his take over of Dame Arderns role, eventually to end up either dumped under abus or in a plum position like Ardern and Bloomfield. Let’s lead the world in denying this scam called climate change.Carolyn
But it should beStan
100% people are realizing that they will have to live like prisoners to comply with Labours policy lunacy.. Thats not an easy sell either.nikki
I certainly hope so. The lunatic fringe needs to be shown up for what it is.Glenn
End the climate change based policies once and for all.Mark
People are not stupidLeila
No green backlash is obvioud yet, but it should be.John
I stated “Yes”; what I actually meant to express is: “I bloody Hope So”! The joke has gone on too long, the facts and data from the start of the scam to make cash for renewables manufacturers, John Kerry at the Helm as a major US shareholder of Wind Technology firms getting US$MILLIONS by way of conned subsidy from innocent (though GULLIBLE, Tax Payers) is beyond a disgrace to his public office (as was), but to all the greedy hangers-on that saw an easy buck or celebrity… talking of which, all the Celebrities need hauling over the COALS too (pun intended)… MSM especially too. It has left many of the Sheeples in this Country that have a hard time critical thinking to go into a spin with nose-dive of total confusion, now not knowing what to believe. There are some very, very GUILTY Culprits out there… sadly related to all the other Agenda 2020/2030 SCAMS. Pyres should be built ready for the influx of Guilty verdicts. Should keep us all warm for quite some time. Enough is enough of the swindle and skimming of hard-earned tax dollars… Light the Fires! (CO2, Methane, and Carbon Monoxide Plumes as far as the eye might see, should the smoke not be so thick.Graham
High time the hysterical nonsense was recognized for what it is and the serious economic and social damage potential clearly identified.John
Bring it on !!!!!!!!!!!! Climate alarmists should be hung drawn and quartered!!!Brian
Climate change is a natural occurrence, which keeps happening in cycles.Trevor
I have voted “Yes” but I am not so sure as there are still large numbers of voters who have never had the chance to look at both sides of the argument as the Government and the media have prevented this from happening. If anyone in authority did try to tell an alternative argument then they were cancelled and even lose their jobs.Steve
Climate alarmism is cods wollop.chris
Yes, I have made advances to our local council. I believe that the local level is the place to concentrate on because they are the “whipping boys” of LGNZ, and LGNZ is in turn being driven by government “policy”. So where do these policies come from? The puppetmasters of course. That who is directing our so called government. At a local level there needs to be action. As a ratepayer, I would support moving all decisions and services back to a local level. Most would agree with me I am sure. So, greenlash by the local governments needs to be encouraged. All of the “regulation changes” that are on the go come from the UN WEF or WHO. And who the …. elected them? They do not have my consent. Real Eyes, Realise, REAL LIES! We are being LIED TO every day!Neil
About time this fabricated nonsense was thrown out. So many people who have rejected this never get listened to.Hazel
I’m a bit on the fence in this one.Mark
Hope so.Ronmac
I hope so, too many negatives out there stillElaibe
It is a big scam and a con that we think humans can control the climate.lone
I do hope soJo
DefinitelyJoseph
I certainly hope so!!Isa
I do. They are not getting their way, they will become angry, nasty and violent. Bet your bottom dollar on it!grahame
There is an alarmist cycle. In the 1960s there was great growth, the 1970s saw pollution as an alarm. The 80s more growth and the pollution alarm took a back seat. The late 1980s saw a return to alarm…. so the cycles go. Climate change should be considered; but not a major issue!Peter K
Inconvenient question: How can human-generated carbon dioxide be responsible for climate change when only 4% of the CO2 in the atmosphere comes from human sources? That figure is acknowledged as correct by the IPCC itself – but it claims human-caused CO2 is much more climate-changing than the other 96% from natural sources! And they call this science. . .John
I do hope so!Ian
It is about time as a great majority of NZrs have been saying this for years only to be drowned out by the noisy radicalsneville
Read Ian Plimer’s book GREEN MURDERbruce
I think NZers believe what they are told by our government, our politicians cannot be trusted and are not qualified to do the jobs they are doing,. Government Green policies that are wrong: Electric cars don’t work, Lithium is an environmental disaster, why import nasty coal when we have our own, Marsden Point really now we have substandard Bitumen, is there a plan B when we stop using natural gas, to name but a few, however none of these facts were reflected in the last election, so no until NZers think for themselves a ‘greenlash’ here is not happening. Green policies not in place by our government: Burning coal must stop, we must recycle everything here, hydrogen powered vehicles, plant more trees especially natives on steep country, no more dairy farms on marginal land, stop cities expanding across farmland, ban phosphates. These things will help the environment, not necessarily global warming. These unsolved or even addressed issues are what drive people to naively vote for the NZ The Green Party. Although I said a greenlash will not happen it has already done so for me, I am an environmentalist, but for the first time last election I did not for them and will never vote for the Green Party again. They are a party that has been hijacked by racist, sexist, Maori radicals and it no longer primarily focuses on the environment.John
Many more issues such as Plastics and Micro balls have to be eliminated. Also the use of waste rubbish being burnt to produce electric Power and the use of natures limestone to scrub the resulting smoke, There are a few company’s whch Specilize in this process overseas.Ian
Sure is we don’t need to be told what to do by socialist parties we need a govt that is going to reneg the climate debarcle & not resign the Paris agreement which John Key & Judith Collins happily signed on behalf of us all..Stupidity.. ntRex
about time reality set in. these brains pushing climate change have NO brains.Chris
I sincerely hope so!Peter
And don’t forget the separatist lash as well, now the Racist party want to break away, expect all hell to errupt… and now the fun starts!!Let the FUN BEGIN.David
have people lost the ability to think, all the govts are heading in the same direction and are afraid to confront maori head oncolin
I really hope so.Jacquetta
I certainly hope so.Caren
now that “cancelling” is history, common sense should return!murray
Lets get real and save money on these hear brained global warming schemes. Thank goodness The Labour Gov. is history.Robert
Hopefully increasing resistance. This climate change fad is just pure alarmism!!Tony
I certainly hope soElizabeth
Many I speak to are expressing significant doubts over human caused climate changeJohn
Time to push back on the madness. New Zealand’s contribution to methane emissions etc cannot be measured because it is so small. Period.Noel
And I think that is getting time the greens started using some working braincells.peter
At about time too. What a load of rubbish all this climate stuff is – but it sure is lining the pockets of someone, somewhere.Christine
I have always thought the climate thing was a scam and a hoax. Please make it go away messrs Luxon, Seymour and PetersDerek
Albeit far too slowlyMichael
I certainly hope so!Tony
Climate change is a threat to civilisation as we know it. In the last two hundred years or so, global temperatures have NOT risen by only a few millionths of a degree celsius, but by around 1.5 degrees celsius. just in the last few weeks, there have been deadly heat waves in southern Europe, India and Saudi Arabia. As I am tapping away, record-breaking floods are threatening Tairawhiti. Admittedly, we could encourage industries here if, by doing so, we can do the industrial processes here in a greener way than the production of the equivalent goods that we import from overseas. Alos, kick for touch the stupid policy that we need to grow N Z’s population. This policy belongs to the 1950s! Aim for a population of 3 million by the end of the century. Save money on infrastructure costs!!!!Denbie
Climate alarmist are the old religious bigots of yearsGeoff
Starting with the methane rating to be corrected to its true levelRobin
Yes I think more people are beginning to wake up to climate alarmist but with the Green fools indoctrinating our kids in the schools it will be difficult.Paul
may be at last some common sense talkleo
Probably, and many “facts” are being challenged. We are not in balance with nature and still set ourselves up for natural events to cause harm that was predictable and avoidable.Donald
Hopefully – the sooner the better. They are just a pack of lunatics that are determined to see all the farmers go broke and the land revert to gorse and blackberry.Don
Hopefully!Patricia
I think the silent majority have had enough to the point that they are awakening from their slumber and starting to push back against this nonsense.Scott.
It is a trillion dollar annually money making scam hatched up on Wall Street. It is tragic that NZ has wasted $1b on this nonsense, not even counting the corrupt ‘hot air’ emissions trading racket. Our scientists can no longer be trusted to tell us the truth, because they would lose their govt funding.Susan
However the young still believe in climate catastrophe, largely.Alastair
This coalition government is taking a common sense approach toward the environment and not getting themselves involved in the green hype and their agenda.Owen
I hope so, this whole thing has been one of the biggest lie ever perpetrated on the whole world and sucked in the gullible youth and adults with all their scare mongering. This and the whole covid vaccine scam as evidence is now coming to light over all the deaths it has causedBarry
I sincerely hope so! Let’s wake up those that are still asleep.Dianne
I have no evidence and I am on FB and X and read newspapers and listen to conservative podcasts and listen to people, that any ‘greenlash’ is happening. People are content to let someone else speak up and not donate to conservative and truly progressive causes.Ray
The climate models have never been right – A lot of scientists have known the false narratives to not be true – it was and is falseness. Truth is Truth. Just get with it.Maurice
I believe (but stand to be corrected) that any plants under 3 (or 5) metres tall are not assigned any value for storing carbon. As much of NZ’s bush falls below this threshold, the calculations are skewed.Steve
People are waking up to the GREAT GREEN CONGeorge
I HOPE that there will be a Green lash. I believe the brainwashing of kids in NZ has made actual curiosity into OTHER THAN taught “Knowledge” almost suppressed. “I was taught this at Uni….” “It’s all over Social Media”. If you express any of this LOGIC, you are almost seen as trying to prevent their future.Lionel
How can we get the content of your latest letter out to the general public? Everyone needs to hear this!!Caroline
Alarmist media hype and so we don’t hear true research reports. All the true reporters aged between 30 and 60 have disappeared to be replaced by snot gobblers that think money grows on treesJohn
But it needs to. NZ’s do not like to admit they got it wrong. Let hope the coalition can get the message to people who believe they are right!Mike
We see the ‘elite’ jetting all over the World, while expecting us to WALKmike
An interesting observation globally is the evidence and data showing the push of the climate narrative with weather modification and I felt this needs more delving into. Cloud seeding is not conspiracy and openly discussed and admitted by several counties and included in their nightly weather forecasts on tv. China, Dubai and just recently 3 US States have now banned cloud seeding. Australia also have had issues with this too. NZ is no different and to e force a narrative is to create the problem. This needs investigation and already locals have had meetings with Council members in this very topic.Ange
I sincerely hope soJoyce
Finally people are waking up to the fact that this climate crisis is false and costing us mega bucks. Slowly we are seeing a turn to common sense. Still a long way to go though. Luxon needs to get off the fence and show some courage and stop being a worse.Peter
Very slowly, amongst the older citizens. Barry Brill, ex MP, has some good writing on the over statement of the methane emissions.Marianne
Many have seen thru the hocus pocus of “predicitions” and especially sea level rise for some time. May we finally have sense & real science prevail, we already farm extremely well, we are food producing nation. Stop the merry-go-round of wasted money on egos.Paula
I hope so, this nonsense has gone on long enough, time for common sense to take overAndrew
Unfortunately no. The majority of the population have been greenwashed by the government, the media and academics. The would not comprehend the logic that ruminant methane is part of a natural cycle with a miniscule effect on global temperature.Alister
yes we dorob
Definitely! The silencing of individuals and groups is indictment of any truths being revealed. The club of Rome back in the 60s had this agenda well in their sights as the next big fear factor snd money making opportunities. It needed the Trojan horse of covid to really amp it up to the next level. As we have observed the clean green agenda is anything but. There is no crisis.Angela
I hope it is gathering pace and we can drop the sillinessRay
Mythology is not proof , only provable science can be considered in this issue.fred
One “REAL” scientist regarded climate alarm as “Scientific Fraud”. Just watch the movie “CLIMATE THE MOVIE” and you should be convinced. Climate change is now an industry and not a science. All predictions since the climate change alarmism took place has failed.Alan
The truth will out – the science is IN We dont even align with the Paris AccordPeter
Young people especially are being indoctrinated instead of being provided with balanced informationIan
This Greenlash has been evident for some years but is still being ‘canceled’ by the media propaganda response. We as a nation need to catch up to the Global response, that it is a lie!Christine
It’s a too slow process at this point. We can only hope more people start to critically appraise the whole climate change narrative.Charles
While I believe it will happen, I also believe that it will take longer to be of any use. The adern years and the greens have done a superb job of convincing the people, especially politicians that their is a real threat and we can solve itAlec
And long overdueDavid
People have already shown it. In Nelson, the very expensive electric buses are generally empty, although the council pours ratepayer money into them. Meantime, the shopping malls are jammed with cars!Dan
I chose yes but that is more in hope. Some days I think it will happen and other days I think it won’t. BUT IT HAS TO HAPPEN< AND SOON!Murray
It has been over 30 years now that I have tried to speak out against this “Green” nonsense and all the while being thought of as a “climate denier”, “conspiracy theorist” and so on. Like banging your head constantly against a brick wall, using whatever real science available to make credible arguments in conversation to no avail in many cases. It is like there is a powerful delusion, a powerful magic spell that blinds most to sensible thought and recognising what is true, real and reasonable. They rather believe a lie and merrily continue in the path of assisting their own destruction. So sad.Brian
People will continue to believe what the news media tell themPaul
I certainly hope so, I’m sick of all that climate change BSLaurie
Finally we are starting to hear common sense view points….Grant
Let’s hope it’s a huge greenlash. The lunatics pushing the climate scam need to go.StevoC
I certainly hope so.Mike
absolutely !mike
If it isn’t, it certainly should be.Alan
I certainly hope so. Most even semi intelligent people have known about this hoax for years. Why are politicians so slow to cotton on.Phil
But it is not happening quick enough. The obsession with carbon dioxide and methane while ignoring atmospheric water vapour, clouds etc is a scientific malfeacence. Stop the lies. Liberate truth and common sense.Kevin
Dont believe most people are well informed on the issueLex
Although it’s a silly question. The education system needs to be changed. State media auctioned off.John
It is time that the coalition government exhibited leadership and reset NZ’s legislation and directives to reflect the truth about the Green movement’s climate “drivers” as being total lies.Craig
yes people are waking up that it’s all nonsense that the left use to terrorize the population. Climate Change is a farse!Nigel
Future generations will see so called climate change as we view those who believed the Earth was flat.Grant
Having some background in measurement sytems, the fundamental errors of misapplied chemistry measurement has been obvious. It appears to be another fear-based rhetoric to make the populace docile and compliant. I decline and welcome others to vociferous resistance!Peter
Alarmists and idiots.Sam
Stop spending billions of dollars on a problem that doesn’t existGavin
I think as long as educators keep up the myth of climate change in schools, our young people will not look outside the square.Glenda
No backlash is brewing in New Zealand. Infact I am confident the opposite is happening. The INDOCTRINATION of the millennials has been so successful that The Green Party are one of the few Parties still showing expansion in the political polls. The major problem we have, is the National & Labour Parties are hell-bent on riding the W.E.F. / Globalist Agenda wave. Luxon has proved that on several occasions when National Party Caucus members have dared to challenge him on matters promoted by W.E.F. NZ-First have the most realistic view on climate, & yet they gain the least in the Polls. I rest my case..A.G.R.
Climate has and will always change. What doesnt change is the amount of FEAR being planted by global elites. Change from fear to freedom by seeking the truth. Easy for some but not so easy for others!Alan
I’m not absolutely sure that it is happening, but I certainly hope that it is! We have suffered more than enough of Ardern’s ecological lunacy, and really, really need a reality check.TOBY
I very much hope so!Tony
The Greens are out of control.William
the greens have lost their way over the past few years. they are just another socialist bunch of radicals.Sharron
Some people are aware of the alarmists but there is a huge number that go along with the message, like sheep to the slaughter.Kerry
At last common sense seem to be prevailingfrank
Read the book False Alarm” Very well researched . It proves the futility of spending billionsRuss
No. Kiwis don’t care. They just want to watch Married at First Sight and smoke meth.Max
Hope so!Pam
Methane and CO2 Global Warming is a complete lie!Valerie
Unfortunately not. I believe The wider general NZ public is ignorant of true climate science, and as happened with the Cvd pandemic they suck up everything MSM put out as though it were the only truth. My two little Pug dogs probably have more climate change scientific knowledge than the entire MSM combined!Graham
Needs to happen faster to save the country from cataclysmic failureDavid
Time for the truth to be told. But who in our media will dare to actually investigate and go into print.?Elizabeth
That “greenlash” needs to be ramped up 100fold. Why are (some of) our politicians so brainwashed that they spout this B/S? Are they afraid of the bullies or maybe being paid to comply?ET
To the young people of today, I say: “Think for yourselves, do your own research, draw your own conclusions”. In my young days, I had something far worse to think about than climate change – I had World War 2. KevanKevan
We are coming out of the Little Ice Age 1300 to 1850, so naturally the temperature is rising. During this period the city fathers burnt witches to stop the crops failing because of the cold! We are planning to kill cows instead??John
Simply through the evidence that comes through on a daily basis, delighted that MP Mr Jones sees it in a challenging lightWarren
it was all media hype with no scientific back up.merv
It’s not brewing, it’s already started. A lot of people, including myself, are fed up with the bullshit attached to this dialogue. It seems that basic, well known scientific principles are being overturned, making science more of a religion of faith, rather than the adherence of “facts” as they used to be known. And one more thing – if New Zealand was to sink beneath the waves tomorrow, it would make not one blind bit of difference to the world’s climate, whatever you believeTrevor
However if it is the MSM are not allowing it to gain much traction for fear of having to backtrack on the ideology pushed by Labour and the Greens.Kevin
NZ should consider that they are penalising their own economy by the green agenda being promoted, while the largest economies in the world are not conforming. Unless the largest economies do conform to a green agenda the human induced climate change proposal remains an impossibility and New Zealand remains a voice crying in the wind to their own detriment. It will take the entire world of industrialised nations to take action to eliminate any rise in atmospheric pollution. Until then New Zealand will burn at the stake of its own fire.terrence
Not fast enough though.Terry
they need to protest about somethingRod
Yes,I do but the younger bgenerations are very caught up still with Greta Histrionic Thunberg and her slogan shouting.Janet
Not yet, but it needs to.Malcolm
I certainly hope so. It is about time past so called factual relationships betweed CO2 and methane are updated to the more recent and more factual relationships. Otherwise we are going to deverstate our farming income based on outdated and incorrect data.Keith
The information that the Greens and the left have portrayed over the last 6 years is false and misleading, showing no ability to research scientific reasoning from credible scientists . It is time the factual statistics are used by the new coalition govt- so every day New Zealanders understand the wasteful spending and economical disasters that could face this countryJohn
And about time too!shane
The politicians either believe the alarmist rhetoric or they don’t, if they don’t why is there a delay in shutting down the cult and saving taxpayers money. Being a new government intent on fixing the economy I wouldn’t expect any slow walking on the subject.Rex
Get rid of all the stupid politics around the issue of climate. Let the farmers continue their world class food production. Keep on with oil production with its unlimited benefits for the human race and developing nations locked into poverty and primitive living conditions. Not only is climate a scam but an illusion and madness that needs to be rooted out of society. Thank you for summary, look also to the work of Ole Humlum for a categorical rejection of any human influence on global warming and on the parlous state of the surrounding science.Peter
So called Global warming/climate change is a huge rort. One volcano erupting puts more toxic gases into the atmosphere than mankind has done since its existence. Maybe all the climate alarmists need to stop jetting around the world to their climate conferences and walk to them instead.Wayne
At lastEvans
The perpetrators of this nonsense need to wake up and get real. There are far more important things to spend our money on than Climate BSChris
Greenlash long overdue.John
I really, really, really hope soLarry
Unfortunately the last government let the genii out of the bottle on many fronts and it’s not going to be easy to put it back!Dominic
I am one of them, this government is still to pinky, 3 waters bullshit, climate bullshit, you name it we are still been feed bullshit. For me I can’t wait until a hard core right wing party comes about, then moves into wellington, we have had 40 years of neoliberal socialism rammed down our throats with no real gain for our country?Sven
The media are too quick to cancel any serious discussion about climate change. Most NZers are oblivious to the problem our greenies and Adern/Hopkins lovers have created. It’s going to take a lot more debate and truth from our journalists.Kevin
Yes. Had a gutsfull of alarmism!Bruce
I damned well hope so. How long can people be so daft as to conclude that our cows are a problem. They have sustained the world population since Adam was in short pants and suddenly some academic maniac has declared our beautiful cows No 1 enemy. How bizarre! How absolutely bizarre and as stupid as stupid can be. I am delighted that populations are realizing they have been hoodwinked BIGTIME by their dopey naivety.Dianna
I sincerely hope so. Someone will have to get to the news media to report both sides first, though.Graeme
but not fast enoughwarwick
Seems overly-optimistic to me. And while the whole climate change thing is way over-egged, there’s no doubt that warming is happening. And to the extent that’s linked to emissions, even if only in a minor way, the ETS is far and away the best means of tackling it. Trying to shoot that down is an own goal.Coker
Its a slow brew here but it is becoming apparent that people are now willing to listen to alternatives to the climate alarmismAlan
The population has grown understandably sceptical of computer modelling.Mark
Never believed in it anyway just a money making venture for some and recking our countryBarbara
People appear to be waking up. We are being fed bias BS.Chris
We still have too many people so scared to think otherwise. The narrative has been sold so cleverly that they will not look at the real scienceRod
Unfortunately, Owen forgot to mention that the major source of Methane is from undersea natural gas leaks ,marshes all over the planet as well as rubbish tips.Gary
While I’d support a greenlash’ as I have long understood climate con is a Trojan horse for globalist policies and as such a lie, I see little evidence of a grassroots fight back against climate nonsense. There are still a vast majority of people who believe the braying of the media, the brainless prattling of ill-informed politicians and the raving of enviro commie zealots who lie about the issue.John
HopefullyDavid
I bloody well hope so… but why has Commissioner Simon Upton been silent for so long? All through his service during the long Labour/Green years.Peter
It’s clear that climate change has been grossly over promotedBruce
would really like to believe thatanthony
As more people realise the science was not “in” and we have been conned into paying a heavy price for our climate zealotry then the backlash will grow, nothing more certain.Geoff
Look back on historyLynne
The Earth’s climate change is in constant flux. Volcanic eruption, the sun etc. These are all out of our human control. This is just yet another scam to get more money out of the public and stress the public with more unfounded fears.Heather
And about timeRodger
needs to happenColin
YES,it is happening now and my friends and neighbors now agree that after the 2021 climate change figures were wrong it was just one BIG LIE. Our Govt must be forced through public opinion to stop this sham and misinformation NOW ,before we become totally broke.John
In real scientific circles it’s long been known there is no climate emergency and there never was. The Coalition Govt must show some guts and throw this BS in the bin and show the leadership New Zealand is reknown for worldwidePeter
I believe there is some change occurring. The “Green” claim that sea levels are rising (unqualified), Co2 emissions will be the death of the planet and so on, and the UN spouting forth that we need to act with urgency, is unsupported by accurate information. Yes we can do some things to clean up our environment but some of the proposals being inflicted on us, to say the least are nothing short of rubbish.chris
Yes most definitely. The smartest of the woke brigade have seen through the deceit and outright BS and have reevaluated their position. I see and hear this in my younger relo’s. The hour is late and I still fear for the future.Ray
A “greenlash ” against climate alarmism is definitely brewing. N.Z. should decouple from the Paris Climate Accord (actually a treaty) and rightfully govern its own house and do what is right for the nation. Order in the universe which the climate is a part of, is not open to question – only the man-made is. Read “The Metaphysical versus The Man-Made” on the Von Mises website. A great essay on fundamentals.Donald
Lets hope soA
IF not it should be and more often We are being treated like mushroomeArthur
Sure hope so .I would join it willinglyDavid
The so called climate models have always been false. Net zero is a farce and a total waste of money and resources.Jo
At last someone who has a brain thinking about the absurdity of climate extremism. Please ensure the government read this and take notice.Alastair
Man made climate change-the biggest HOAX the world has ever seen!!!Derek
And May it intensify and open the eyes of blinkered acacadamia to their unscientific folly which is costing all of us dearlyPhil
I have not believed in Global warming at all, check out a bit of previous history.Allan
People are beginning to understand the socialist agenda of promoting alarm and panic in the population to gain total controlFrank
It is the biggest ponzu scheme aroundJim
Let’s hope that common sense and good science rids NZ of the Jacinda parasite and scare-mongering.Hugh
I just hope that the greenies are looking at the recent researchAndrew
I certainly hope so!Barbara
I certainly hope that to be the case. It has gone on far too long.Sally
About bloody timeDennis
The coalition leaders need to act immediately against the globalists agenda and lies about climate change. We need to remove NZ from WEF, WHO, UN and any other agency that is sucking the lifeblood out of our fragile economy especially our farmers. Its all lies and its about time NZ stood up against the tyranny of these self elected global elites who think they can bully the world into submitting to their greed and evil agendas.Deb
But not enough yet.Sanuel
I hope so!Errol
I hope so as the ‘woke’ brigade are getting too much airtime.Gerry
What emergency??!!??Brian
Please! Oh please! Allow commonsense to prevail.Michael
Its only the tree hugging few making all the noise, blocking motorways and messing with the environment when they spray planes and ancient monuments with orange paintLaurie
Its really hard to predict this. I just think we should do our best to look after the planet. Perhaps the problem is our destruction of trees not trying to control gas emissionsMichael
Its a nutty theory promoted by the likes of Al Gore etc. Plant photosynthesis during the day takes in Carbon Dioxide’ and gives out Oxygen, grass does that as well as trees. At night the process reverses taking in Oxygen and giving off Carbon Dioxide. Planting more trees etc does nothing to reduce Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. The whole climate thing is one big con job. NZ should get out of the Paris accord and other quango organisations and chart our own path in this world. Become energy independent, produce Oil, Coal and Natural gas and sell to the developing world.Kevin
Its hard to believe it has taken this long given the expense and subsequent inaction on more important issuesStanley
Yes, people are now aware that huge deception, has been used against them… Pandemic, war, climate hoax, A.I surveilence, Tsunami of TRUTH.. about to hit, we are AT WAR NOW !!David
What a horrendous waste of taxpayer money & stress on our farmers. There is no point in New Zealand doing anything about this bullshit global warming nonsense & even if it is real the major culprits would be China, India & the USA.David
Climate change is being run by people who use false statistics to ‘prove’ anything they disapprove of. Let’s STOP THIS NONSENSE! NOW!!!!SYLVIA
This is what Ive believed (with common sense!) all along. Our taxpayer dollars going into the deep dark hole in Paris and started by Marxist Ardern and her cohorts, is a travesty of lunatic proportions. Climate and Covid with their massive international economic ramifications are their primary weapons of control.Catherine
wish it would speed up!!James
Common sense will prevail.Graeme
The Volcanos that erupt cause the majority of the adverse weather we experience. However th Green House theory suits those that benefit from it. It is total garbage.Elaine
Anyone can look up percentages of the 4 most common gagses in the atmosphere. CO2 is a tiny 4th. Without CO2 plants could not respire, releasing O2 for animals (humans), who in turn respite CO2. Cosmic rays may be a factor in climate turmoil but not food- producers. Common senseDeb
It is clearly obvious we have been bullshitted by the many climate fanatics. The article makes it very clear that the effects of CO2 and methane have been grossly exaggerated to suit / support the claims of these climate change fanatics, contrary to the reality of the situation and to the major / severe detriment of ourselves . Government must make an urgent and much more informed reassessment of the situation and reposition our stance on climate change accordingly .Hugh
Hopefully more and more NEW ZEALANDERS are awakening from Jacinda’s nightmare and WILL join a “greenlash”. Wake up and save our wonderful Country and our hard working Farmers – they don’t need all this “BULLSH T”. Brian
Most definitelyJohn
The sooner the betterRoger
Oh boy! I hope to live to see that woman hoist on her own petard. In court preferably.Jenny
This nonsense has to stop. Mother nature will look after itself without the interference of the loony squadTom
I would like to see a backlash but there is little evidence of one to date JudyJudy
No – because the majority of NZers are apathetic and the current government are not putting words into action. Our children are not being taught to think for themselves but to believe the inaccuracies they are being indoctrinated with.Dianne
The more these exposures of incorrect to previously false information occur, the greater the backlash – especially when it becomes obvious that our govt and others of influence have not allowed for updated facts, even when the update is from the IPCC no less.Barry
The BS is becoming obvious to everyone!Andy
Drom beats for political purposes only and for no gain.john
If the evidence I have just read is to be believed the Government have a job to do. I for one will back any decisions they make.Dennis
But it has existed for a long time; just not been reported. For our size, monies should be spent on preparedness, in the event of storm damage and drought. These weather events have occurred for decades, but are now becoming more frequent and out of season. The shouting voices in the room are being replaced with much more sensible, appropriate and workable proposals.David
It is becoming obvious that we are being conned.Ian
Absolutely. Can’t believe it’s taken so long for people to wake up to this B.S. I think our current economic mess has largely been caused by this green idiocyDave
i sincerely hope so!! The appalling waste of Govt funds on this stupidity should be halted immediately. It has been an exercise in futility and the truth is becoming more apparent.don
Not that you would know if only consuming news from legacy mediaGlenn
I don’t believe it is but boy it should be !!Stuart
There is NO doubt that the world is having climate issues with extremes in temperature and adverse weather in most of the world, causing calamities. So, we need to look at the reasons and what can be done to improve these situations. New Zealand has been mostly sheltered from the most severe climate issues, but we only need to look to the USA and Saudia Arabia with the destruction of land and loss of life from severe temperature levels. We can put our heads in the sand and look the other way, but the reality is look what happened in Hawkes Bay. It can and will happen here too.Alan
We have all been brainwashed – over the last 30 years.Andy
Common sense will prevail eventuallyBeverley
I certainly hope so! Never believed the alarmism in the first place – lots of friends have been horrified at my stand!Jan
We should have ditched climate panic years ago.. Sadly so many people were greenwashed, when reality said otherwise. There is not enough questioning of political comments or involved science from all cornersAl
Stop wasting taxpayer money !Henk
I certainly hope so. We do not have the financial resources to waste on ridiculous luxury beliefs. CO2 is life, not pollutiondavidf
I said NO as I believe people are SLOWLY coming to their senses, BUT just like the so called “Pandemic” when we were mostly led by the nose ring, Not Enough, not quickly enough and not in big enough numbersTray
When people wake up and discover REAL science, rather than listening to bought and paid for scientists, they learn the truth. The climate crisis is a hoax.Grant
Green party is freeloading upon taxpayers by alarmist falsehoods and exaggerations, not practicing what they preach when not out shoplifting and law breaking with immigrants visas. income by deception.mike
long overdue!!Giles
too much vested interest to accept the factsJohn
hopefully it will gather speed very quickly.. We have wasted far too much money already.david
There should be a backlash, but I don’t think there is one at the moment.Bill
Yes there is Climate Change, but human cause is unproven or insignificant. The new movie freely available on UTube CLIMATE CHANGE THE COLD TRUTH is a must watch and should be spread widely. All the while MSM continues to block any debate or contrary narrative.Gerard
I certainly hope so 🙂Ken
About time some common sense prevailed. Some fossil fuel use is necessary, otherwise we can’t feed our populations nor maintain our standard of living in a modern & progressive world. The recent carbon trading schemes promoted world wide are a complete & utter nonsense.Greg
But if not, it should be! The untruth told by supposed learned persons is nothing but a jumble of unsustainable and unproven detail. It is destroying this country’s primary produce sector, and against the Paris Agreement of ‘not to affect food produce.’ Sooner this nonsense is put to rest, the better.Robyn
Why, because we are slow learnersPete
Stupid greens have known about this for years.Arthur
Of course it is!! As logic finally wins out and NetZero garbage is finally killed off in Europe so we will begin surely to realize what a gigantic con the whole thing has been.Roger
a continuing deceptive attack against capitalism and progress I am thankful the scientific fight backgraham
The climate is not “man” made. Goverments need to build to manage climate events, especially floods, get better run off, don’t build on clifftops etc.jJim
Yes! I believe most people are waking up to the lies, and the distorted facts. It’s all part of the plan to enslave us! The old maxim applies “follow the money” the rich get richer and we become enslaved! But more need to wake up to this nonsense, so we can ditch the wef,who,un and other parasitic organisations!peter
Most definately. The Greens aren’t prepared to accept facts.John
About timeMike
Brewing, just not fast enough.Kahn
Climate catastrophism is a dangerous myth based on a discredited hypothesis that deliberately excludes natural variability. The misallocation of resources it has caused is criminal.Trevor
It needs to get very vocal and loud.Wayne
Not yet….. population too slow to cotton on. Be careful you do not FART…Gill
The greenlash has always been there, it just doesn’t get heard; Thanks to media, again. Thankfully the tide is changing.James
I’d like to but I’ve seen little practical evidence of it. Kiwis are typically at the arse end of most global policy. Among the last to follow it – which can be a good thing – and among the last to ditch it. Unfortunately, as a country we have a bad track record of following the crowd, despite ample evidence negating some global policies. Our media and most of our politicians still buy into the climate change scam so I don’t see anything changing short-term here.Derek
About time we started to be realistic and stop the scare tactics.John
Very slowly and would be quicker if the indoctrination of children could be stopped.pdm
Still a Yes possibility BUT Joe blow public are still brainwashed by mainstream media. I don’t know how many of them have actually have engaged their brains. I live in hope of YES to a back lash.Jill
Yes. Yes. A bit brilliant newsletter that needs to be sharedRICHard
We should be dealing with hard facts and science and decisions made accordingly. The Green economic vandals have had their day in the sun, now time to fade into the dark abyss from which they emerged.Chris
I notice a growing awareness particularly after the Covid alarmism woke people up to the power of media propaganda in support of the oligarchs%u2019 agenda.Lee
I hope so.Bill
I hope and pray this is so.Allan
It is still very much in the early stages but it is brewing!Peter
methane is an inflammable gas how can it survive in an environment along with so many forms of ignition , lightning jet plans bush fires ect its all bull.Noel
yesWiremu
I agree and we’ll overdue but one cannot deny that we have damaged the environment and reduced many wildlife species to dangerous levels. Chemical pesticides are a threat to water ways and to humans. We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I question your comment on “natural” farming when tonnes of fertilisers are thrown onto paddocks.John
Until the media and politicians stop promoting climate alarmism and base decisions on facts nothing will change.Roger
The global warming claim is a scam pushed by extremist socialists scaremongering. Te reo Luxon needs to take the lead and dismiss this rubbish. Climate changes constantly, courtesy of nature, not of man.Gavin
I certainly hope people have had enough of the alarmist “global warming” rubbish. Sure, we can clean up the waterways and any other harmful things we do, but – man against nature? No contest.Sheila
Thank you Dr Newman. As usual I thoroughly enjoyed this your latest column.Erin
naturally increasing temperature is a part mod govalwarmingGeorge
I sincerely hope so !!Bruce
The sooner it actually happens the better it will be! In fact it is imperative that it happens!!Ron
Such fallacy against climste change is a waste Of monies!Dominique Greenslade
The sooner the better !!!Geoffrey
Wrest back control from the left wing green idiots.Shaun
Maybe starting. Not enough people getting the messages however as news media are captured by the fanatics.Graham
Only with those who have a modicum of intellect and challenge the obviously skewed data. The rest are sheep!Martin
I don’t think it is yet. New Zealand tends to lack behind the rest of the western world in these thingsRoy
Very slowly, our education system has brainwashed a generation.Peter
It is an established scientific fact that warming and cooling of our planet are cyclic events over which we have no control.. We need to plan to mitigate damage caused by these fluctuations, but we can’t do anything to change them.Rod
Alarmism is fostered by those who want power over othersKen
I certainly hope so. The Greens blind insistance on “kill the farming industry” has already done far too much damage. Time to rethink.Robbie
And the sooner the betterAndrew
It’s just commonsense, stop the nonsense!Craig
I have to hold onto the hope that this c;imate madness will come to an end – and soon. I sense a change happening as people who were once very vocal have gone quiet. The damage financially, ecnomically and emotionally has been devastating for the country. .sally
Any greenlash is not very apparent, should be promoted in mediaGareth
Why dont the climatists include ALL greenery in their calculations instead of only using Forrests above 3mtrs in heightAllan
send to the politiciansian
just another tax grabbing scamGreg
Should be.Alec
Sigh…Here we go agin by trotting out the same old question , despite at least one government in my life time s having campaigned on removing the maori seats; but then not doing so.. WHEN will those elected to do a job, actually do it?Vernon
I think that what is growing is an overwhelming tiredness with what people see as endless and apparently solution-less problems be they weather or war. The situation is like the dying days of the Weimar Republic where horrors like Hitler or Trump pose as saviours, and people listen.Alan
Let’s hope this happens soon, before they kill a lot of animals. And we need to stop the Chemtrails I see everyday that are poisoning the air.Larry
Let’s hope this is happening or our future is looking very gloomyBryan
The blinkers are finally coming off.Michael
Yes and not before time. The damage done to our economy is immense and all this nonsense needs to stopped. Unfortunately I think Luxon believes in the woke ‘Climate Change’ crap. Someone needs to get through to National that it’s all baloney.Simon
I strongly agree with your comments in this Time for a Reality Check article. The growing ‘greenlash’ against the climate control extremists heralds a return to sanity here and around the world.Peter
As a FORMER active Greens supporter, for several years totally opposed to their now fascist direction, I am becoming more and more convinced the climate change issue is partially made up, and part of the new era of controlling the inhabitants of Earth. At my age, I’ll likely never discover the truth.Colin
Long over due common sense needs to return.John
Not before time!Bryan
Actually, I’m not certain but I hope it is!Duncan
Common Since has to prevail.I believe the average Kiwi could see through this Nonsense from the left.Who have never generated a profit in there own Business & had to pay the wages.DREAMERS!!!Michael
And it’s been growing for some time. This Climate alarmism is all part of the WEF Globalist dystopian Agenda to depopulate and destabilize Countries with the one objective in mind of CONTROL !!Geoff
It is a pity that New Zealanders are turning their back on good science. We ignore climate change at our peril.John
OH YES.Dick
we are finally realising we have been conned!!!Rob
I do hope so! Time to stop wasting money on obvious false ideology.Pamela
I hope so. Unfortunately too many of our children are still hoodwinked. And it often surprises me how often I have to have the conversation with adults. Unfortunately as some journalists have said “Fear sells.”Catherine
time for the negative greenhouse thinkers to truly look at history in regard to changes in the earth and sea, and the natural causesjenny
For sure can’t believe any normal thinking intelligent person would believe the nonsense that we were fed the money that’s been wasted on this rubbish is staggeringPeter
And about timeDavid
It was absolute lunacy right from the startchris
Let planet Earth evolve on it’s own choatic programs, as it always has and focus on the Well Being of Humanity ….Chris
I certainly hope so, and it starts to reverse the ridiculous amount of money being spent on meeting the ludicrous targets based on false science.Roseanne
I can only but hope it is. Commonsense must prevail surely?Richard
Yes, but the government are more interested in grandstanding than in REAL science .Ross
I certainly hope the green lash is real. For too long now we have been fed lies about the causes of climate change. This government better start moving in the right direction to get our natural resources up and running again.Gifford
about timenevkath
Would like to think so. The sooner the better!Peter
At least I darn well hope so! It’s total madness to be spending time and money on this nonsense when it’s so badly needed elsewhere!Brenda
I certainly hope so. It is time that we recognize this madness for what it is in reality.: nothing but a malignent plan to re distribute wealth from us th a very few and at the same time give away any chance of being able to have input into what ought to be a democratic , socially balanced and humane system. The UN and the WEF and associated gangs ( that’s what they are in reality) have to be exposed . . We have to cancel any association with that lot and team up with all leaders out there on the world stage who oppose everything connected with these gangs.Michael
That the coalition has not adopted the correct methane levels is appalling.Allan
I certainly hope so! The argument against climate change is just as compelling but one is condemned for saying so.Tim
Unfortunately, politics, media bias as well as the green ‘education’ influence on a whole naive generation is swamping any attempt at sanity.George
……and not before time……robin
About time.Graham
I certainly hope so. The sooner we wake up to this fraud the better.jeff
Our little country cannot afford to allow these nutty policiesVivien
I certainly hope so. It’s time people woke up to the Climate Alarmist SCAM.Peter
Imagine if revenue from this hoax dried up.Doug
Yes, but it is still in the very early stagesKen
Absolutely! The whole global warming agenda is a scam. Nature controls the climate not man. David
Yes it is time National did the right thing on climate change. They might be surprised by the level of support they would receive – as many parties were in the European elections.Murray
The persecution of farmers is horrendous. Thank you Owen for outlining it all so clearly. All power to you and your supporters.Penny
The whole climate change campaign is aimed at scaring the public. Kiwis need to get on top of the science and realise they are being conned. There is no man made climate problem. The only problem is a political one – socialists have seized control of the agenda and the only way they can keep it is by scaring the public more and more. It is a shocking situation.Simon
The public have had a guts full of the media’s continual hype claiming the world is about to end. People are simply turning off. And the teachers need to be held to account too, teaching kids to be afraid of the future because the planet is going to fry is irresponsible in the extreme.Ian