Useless as tits on a GE bull

I often wonder what the bloody hell we have the Environmental Risk Management Authority for. I mean I know what we are told it is for, but that would appear to be something entirely different from what it is in practice.

I’d like to know also who actually pulls ERMA’s chain. It appears not to be the general public, for if it were so, there might be signs of ERMA taking notice of public submissions.

It seems to me that for the (roughly) $11M this lot cost us each year we don’t seem to be getting much consideration let alone protection.

I’ll give you a few for instances.

Instance # 1: In 2006 it approved Hydrogen Cyanamide (a.k.a. HiCane, Breaker, Gro-Chem HC50,  Hortcare Hi-break, Cyan or TreeStarT) for continued use on kiwifruit orchards despite the fact it is a known pesticide that can and does kill bees, which as most of you will know are essential for pollinating the kiwifruit.

Now this is no ordinary chemical although so-called ‘conventional’ kiwifruit farmers would have you think it is. Even the ERMA committee acknowledged the well-known HiCane flush that occurs when workers who have been handling the substance consume alcohol 24 hours BEFORE handling it or up to SEVEN days afterwards. It can be very nasty and in fact has in the past been used as an aversion therapy for alcoholics. The effects include a skin flush (usually the face), rapid heartbeat, nausea and sometimes symptoms akin to the hangover from hell.

So not only does ERMA not give a stuff about the bees or people who live near to orchards; it also doesn’t give a stuff about the workers on the orchards. This pretty much puts ERMA in the same camp as the orchard owners because many of them don’t give a stuff about any of the aforementioned either.

Instance # 2: In 2007 ERMA approved Sodium Fluoroacetate (1080) for continued use on our conservation lands and private property. They decided this, despite the fact that during the submission process several shocking examples of stock animals and pets killed by the poison being brought to its attention.

Of course the hoary old chestnuts such as 1080 is the only effective way to get rid of possums, which will have many with a knowledge of biodynamics laughing heartily, and the lie that it only affects the targeted species. They would have a lot of trouble convincing the owners of the horses and dogs killed over the years following 1080 drops of that one. And just to make sure that there is a flavour to suit everyone’s taste rather than simply exclusively target possums as they claim to be doing, they now have a range of 1080 pastes that variously mimic the tastes of peanut butter, apple, cereal and fish. Quite the unholy banquet for an entire range of birds and mammals!

ERMA also ignored the large numbers of submissions against the continued use of this poison, many of which came from professional and recreational bodies who derived a living or enjoyment form the land.

But what is really out of whack with this one is that we in New Zealand are the largest consumers of this vile shit that also affects our waterways. Most other countries have got more sense than to unleash this crap into their landscape, apart from us, Australia, Mexico, Israel and the good old USA. So who is ERMA serving with this decision eh? It can’t be bad for the shareholders in those companies that have a vested interest in 1080 sales to New Zealand can it?

Instance # 3:   December 14, 2010 and ERMA gives the go-ahead to Scion to plant up to 4000 Pinus Radiata with genetic modifications to alter plant growth/biomass acquisition, reproductive development, herbicide tolerance, utilisable biomass, wood density and dimensional stability. The trees will be planted at their campus in Rotorua in what Scion describes as conditions of containment.

But while it is probably true the trees won’t be going anywhere after they’re planted, they will have a pretty tough job ensuring no material FROM the trees goes anywhere else. I mean are they going to have security guards at the gate patting down every invertebrate that enters and leaves? Perhaps they are also proposing a no fly zone around the growing area as well. Maybe NATO could send spare a few of the planes they don’t appear to be using in Libya? Or we might be able to use our old air force crates which I believe are enjoying retirement in a bunker somewhere at the mo’?

But the one that really gets up my nose is Instance # 4. Now this bugger ain’t over yet, but that hasn’t stopped it costing us a lot of grief and I suspect a huge wedge of taxpayer dollars.

This instance is the ‘Open all options’ application by AgResearch, or if you like, ERMA decision 200223. This piece of stupidity was okayed in April 2010, but GE Free New Zealand took the matter to the Court of Appeal as AgResearch had not been specific enough in their application to ERMA.

Rather than tell ERMA exactly what they wanted to do and with what, AgResearch instead files what can only be described as a cynical application in which they listed about nine different species which they said they might or might not want to bring in and fiddle about in, er with their genes.

In other words they wanted to open the door and jam a brick against it so they could do whatever they want whenever they want without further recourse to that messy consultation thingy.

Sadly, at this stage the bastards are winning. Following the ERMA decision GE Free New Zealand applied to the High Court for a ruling that ERMA had erred in law. Justice Clifford of the High Court agreed they had, but when AgResearch appealed that decision to the Court of Appeal the judges there overturned the decision of Justice Clifford.

GE Free NZ then applied for leave to appeal that decision before the Supreme Court. Sadly for our democracy and a hundred other reasons, the old dodders at the Supreme Court rejected the application and concluded that it wasn’t really right for the High Court to decide that ERMA should actually base their decisions upon any specific information.

So I ask the question again – what the hell bloody use is an agency that is supposed to protect our environment if they give approval to applicants who rather than tell us what they are applying for, simply tap their nose and say ‘Trust us, we know what we’re doing”?