Farmers can save the planet – lets help them do it

I must admit I have never figured out why 6% of the Australian population are so hell bent on debating whether climate change is real or not.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver 

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After all if 97 engineers said the Sydney Harbor  bridge was going to fall down and 3 engineers said it wasn’t would you drive you and your family across it?

I came across this fantastic document today titled A Tool Kit … for assisting Australia’s country towns and communities with understanding and addressing longer-term climate change impacts found here and I couldn’t agree more with the conclusion

The key message of this Tool Kit is that planning is needed to prepare for the climate of the future. Regardless of your views on the certainty of climate change, it is clear that actions taken to adapt to the weather conditions of the future can only work to the benefit of local communities. Importantly, communities need to take responsibility for their own future. Government policies and strategies will not ensure the future of any country town if the residents and businesses do not mobilise to action. Change is an inescapable feature of life in Australia’s country towns, and climate change adds another dimension of complexity to an already fast moving environment. The critical question is: will the community act to take advantage of the opportunities that may appear on the horizon – the farming of carbon credits, the development of new industries, and introduction of new, more water efficient, crops – or will they wait to act in the hope of a return to the past?

Rural and regional Australia is full of towns that have died because they could not, or would not, adapt. Australia’s regions are known for their resilience and innovation – these are the resources that can ensure the wellbeing of country towns across Australia for the coming generations.

Climate Change is real and it’s not just a risk to polar bears. We now have a situation where climate change is happening at a faster rate than any species can adapt

Yes there is a 1 in 100,000 chance the scientists are wrong. Do we seriously want to take the chance?

The majority of farmers have stopped talking about the cause and are getting on with finding the solutions and wow are they leading by example

Josh Gilbert ABC interview

NSW Farmers Young Farmer Council Chair Josh Gilbert on ABC Rural. Source

What we need now is a serious rethink on policy on renewables.  Visit here for more information

Reducing the impact of climate change on all of us is an area where Australian farmers have the opportunity to be a game changer and help secure Australia’s future. The possibilities for our farmers in this space are endless and the way forward is to do it together

Its time to move the conversation forward and put Australia on the road to health, wealth and happiness with our farmers leading the way

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and how wonderful is the philosophy behind this concept

In the words of Mark Howden “Adaptation changing what we do to get what we want’

Author: Lynne Strong

I am a 6th generation farmer who loves surrounding myself with optimistic, courageous people who believe in inclusion, diversity and equality and embrace the power of collaboration. I am the founder of Picture You in Agriculture. Our team design and deliver programs that inspire pride in Australian agriculture and support young people to thrive in business and life

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