Currently water is a very controversial subject for some. Basically in NZ, most of the agricultural water abstraction occurs in the East Coast and Central areas. However, the principles apply anywhere. It matters not whether the extraction is for rural...

I watched the build up to the 2017 NZ election with particular focus on the environment with interest. Various views were expressed, one being by then PM English who said, “It has taken five years for scientists to agree on the science.” The...

A great deal of respect is given to people who have accumulated letters after their name after spending time at a university. Research institutes utilise these taught skills and soak up our research budget studying specific problems in specific areas. I...

Last year, a farmer asked me if I would help his mate up the road. His friend had started with 500 cows to calve, and with peak milking soon to begin, he now had a little over 460 with which to complete the season. 22 cows had died from metabolic problems,...

Kiwi Fertiliser is a company built on integrity and trust, and has stuck to its guns against the onslaught of the chemical NPK movement that continually tries to discredit any competition. Some farmers have asked, “Why do some academics criticise...

“Almost half our emissions (49%) come from agriculture and most of our electricity is already from renewable sources. This means we have few cost-effective options for cutting emissions. New Zealand plans to meet its 2030 target by purchasing emission...

Some scientists and others believe their critics are anti-science. That makes them self-appointed spokespersons for the science community. It is the scientist’s ego and ignorance that is the problem, not the science. We have been and are being...

Brian Schnell’s phone call “Here’s the problem I was having. My pond was crusted over and I was losing holding capacity. Not only that, the solids were constantly blocking the irrigation jets, which was a major pain.” Brian had...

Ministry for the Environment and statistics NZ recently released a damning report showing increasing nitrogen and phosphorus in a percentage of NZ rivers.Surprise surprise! The clean rivers plan, which is sweeping the country is to drastically reduce...

Many of the messages received from overseas emphasise the desire for the food chain to be cleaned up. Urban populations are struggling to find healthy and wholesome food. In the northern hemisphere, threats to individuals and collective health include...

What do individuals, businesses or governments do when they come to the realisation that methods or regimes they have been following for 20, 30, or 40 years are wrong?  The answer usually is bugger all. However, when change is necessary...