Animals – The environmental blame game

During our New Zealand Veterinary training we learn extensively about farm systems. This farm system knowledge includes agronomy and soil science. This broad science background enables us to communicate on a scientific basis across many disciplines.

From this scientific understanding, it is disappointing to encounter emotional environmental proponents shouting about “dirty dairying”. The saying that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones becomes pertinent.

The three-programme series on Bill Gates’ brain on Netflix summarises the development of Microsoft and the current environmental activities of the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation. This is a good brief scientific introduction to their current environmental approach. The first introduces water quality, sanitation and hygiene and is well worth the time to watch and learn a new scientific viewpoint. Water quality is linked to sanitation.

The “dirty dairying” moniker suggests that dairy farm waste is discharging into our water, but this situation has improved on farms in my lifetime. Unfortunately, the urban population doesn’t think about their own waste discharging into our water. This is a misunderstanding which I used to share. I thought that our urban waste is treated prior to being discharged into our water. Urban waste from septic tanks and sewage treatment facilities in New Zealand only reduce bacteria that are harmful to humans.  They do not remove the nitrogen and phosphate to any significant extent in the waste prior to it being discharged into water.

Nitrogen and phosphate are usually the two most limiting nutrients to micro and macro-organism growth in water. Farmers frequently forget that not all the nitrogen and phosphate they apply to their farms is utilized by pasture and hence product production. These nutrients move as water drains through the soil profile and across its surface. The same is true of forest and bush areas; nitrogen and phosphate are also leaving these areas and moving toward the sea.

We all need to take ownership of water quality. Farmers and urban populations need to look at reducing nitrogen and phosphates from entering our water. Personally, I don’t monitor how much nitrogen and phosphate I contribute from my urban home, as it is not a requirement in New Zealand to notify the nitrogen and phosphate content of my house cleaning agents. Should it be a requirement?

Throughout New Zealand there is widespread knowledge that current wastewater treatment facilities struggle with water volumes when it rains. Stormwater is frequently piped into sewage systems. They are meant to be separated. The fact that this is such a common problem suggests that this should be acknowledged and addressed. We would all benefit from reducing our emotional rhetoric when discussing environment improvements.

Stephen McAulay, CEO and head vet, Wellsford Vet Clinic
www.vetsonline.co.nz/wellsfordvet