Polluted Inheritance: New Zealand's Freshwater Crisis

Description

New Zealand's dairy industry is big business. But what are the hidden and not so hidden costs of intensive farming? Evidence presented here by ecologist Mike Joy demonstrates that intensive dairy farming has degraded our freshwater rivers, streams and lakes to an alarming degree. This situation, he argues, has arisen primarily through governmental policy that prioritises short-term economic growth over long-term environmental sustainability. This BWB Text is a call to arms, urging New Zealand to change course or risk the wellbeing of future generations.

Mike Joy is a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science at the Ecology group, Massey University. He researches and teaches freshwater ecology, especially freshwater fish ecology and distribution, ecological modelling bioassessment and environmental science.