10 June 1997

Simon Collins
City Voice

Two local issues, both part of one global issue, have been of particular interest in City Voice lately. Both the proposed cuts in public transport and the Makara wind farm have a direct impact on Wellington’s carbon dioxide emissions (which cause the greenhouse effect and global warming).

The New Zealand government was one of many that made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 in order to try and hold global warming and the ozone layer in check. Ours is one of many governments that puts tough environmental issues like this in the ‘too hard’ basket whenever they feel politically insecure (which is most of the time). Not until the temperature has risen a couple of degrees (melting polar ice caps) and the sea level is up half a metre (forecast by the year 2050) is a conservative government likely to do much about carbon dioxide emissions - there’s no obvious ‘profit’ in it.

But by 2050 it may be too late for many coastal suburbs, towns and settlements. Places like, say, Makara will have spring tides crashing up their drive-ways, causing goodness knows how many decibels of noise. If I knew a bit more about graphic design I could generate a computer image showing how the breakers might tower menacingly over the poor defenceless houses. Isn’t it funny how vigorously the people of Makara oppose zero-emission, wind-power generation when they, more than most, are likely to suffer from more fossil fuel power generation.

Since even many conservationists fail to see the irony in applying bumper stickers bearing ‘green’ slogans just inches from their vehicles’ exhaust pipes, it is extremely unlikely that your average punter is going to play any part in reducing fossil fuel consumption voluntarily. Expecting ‘market forces’ to do anything about global warming (except accelerate it) is just plain silly. Local and central government must lead the way by subsidising public transport and zero-emission power generation with taxes on both private and industrial fossil fuel consumption.

Surely the Wellington Regional Council can see how vital a decent public transport system is. All this talk of public transport cuts must just be the council’s way of softening us all up before introducing a petrol tax or carpark levy. Well, I’m softened! Introduce both! I just want to be able to go to the beach in fifty years time (and find there is still a beach) and be able to lie in the sun without smearing SPF 115 sun block all over. And if I look over my shoulder and see a couple of wind turbines humming away, it’ll make me happy knowing Wellington has become a bit more sustainable.

Simon Kennett