And people are more worried about climate change. How about we stop pouring crap into the rivers and oceans.

The selwyn is really bad from all accounts, as is the Mangatainoka. But, there is also an extraordinary green influence in this kind of reporting. Our river testing is extremely tight and our standards of what is considered polluted are very harsh. As always the blame is laid on Ag, when nearly every towns sewerage treatment plant in NZ is non compliant. But thats ignored because to fix it would be politically costly. My local town for example is facing cost of 8-15,000 dollars per resident to bring its facility up to standard. And this is the problem, farmers are actively working to fix and mitigate there issues. Big time. But the towns and cities are producing excuses and regulation breaks to avoid their contribution.
Areas like the Selwyn etc though, will have to face drastic changes to their farming styles, and it will need GOVT help to buy out intensive farming practices and allow farmers change back to less irrigated, less intensive methods..... But the govt wont do that, it will berate and legislate and force loss rather than be part of the solution. While the farmers will be forced to fight and avoid as much as they can, just too survive.

Cane field sediment run off in Qld is huge as it impacts on the Great Barrier Reef,once the reef is totally stuffed the tourism dollar will finish and that is huge.

When I was growing up in Kansas in the 60s, we had the same problem. There it was do to feedlots where cattle are finished before they are butchered. Every summer we had lots of fish kills in the rivers. Feedlots are now required to control and treat runoff and you seldom hear of a fish kill. It is a problem that can be solved but costs some money. Fertilizer runoff from farmland, golf courses, lawns, etc. also make the problem worse.

Yep, Im a firm believer that the agricultural problems can be remedied. But it cant be done by farmers alone as individuals... At least not on the time scale that looks to be desired.

It all boils down to, Too many fucking people on the planet.

Grizz

I agree Grizz.

As soon as I started reading this. The thought went thru my mind that. I bet the standards are stricter than most places in the world.

And yes there are way to many people.