Climate collapse and trees: Common good must prevail

The Government is slowly realising, or at least belatedly acknowledging publicly, that it needs to do much more to lead cultural change on climate collapse aversion programmes.

The Government is slowly realising, or at least belatedly acknowledging publically, that it needs to do much more to lead cultural change on climate collapse aversion programmes.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has pointed to one measure, saying the State must buy land for forestry and encourage all farmers to plant trees. This is all entirely laudable, even if it raises what will be one of the thorniest issues around climate measures — are landowners entitled to indulge in behaviours that will, if unchanged, lead to unsustainable emissions and fines levied on the public purse? And who, if anyone, pays to rectify this behaviour?