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Youth Urge Government Not To Cut Climate Research Funding
Youth Urge Government Not To Cut Climate Research Funding
8 July 2013
Youth climate change organisation Generation Zero is urging the Government to reverse its move to cut funding for research into climate change solutions.
According to reporting in the NZ Herald today, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has recommended scaling back funding for Climate Change Research Grants over the next three years from nearly $10 million a year to $4.5 million a year by 2016.
These grants are to finance research “on adapting to climate change, reducing emissions and creating carbon sinks, and tapping into business opportunities which arise from climate change”.
Generation Zero spokesperson Paul Young says the Government would be crazy to cut research on climate change solutions when it still has no plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with stated commitments.
“Other countries such as Denmark have enacted ambitious policy to grasp the opportunities of transforming to a low carbon economy.
“The Government clearly needs better information on the solutions available but by cutting this research funding they seem to be saying they are not even interested in looking.
“This research is an investment in our future, and we only need to look to this year's drought which cost our economy $1.3 billion to see that it's a vital investment that will pay off.”
Mr Young said maintaining the funding at current levels could be more than paid for by removing the tax breaks for oil and gas companies, which a June report by WWF-New Zealand showed have risen to $46 million annually.
More
Information
http://generationzero.org.nz
www.facebook.com/GenerationZero
http://100percentpossible.org.nz
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