Eat plants to help the climate, IPCC report suggests
A new report into climate change is a stark reminder for people to think about their actions, experts say. The IPCC report gives a detailed look into the global impact climate change will have in the future. The report, which was released on Thursday, covers an extensive range of topics and looks at the risks around global rising temperatures, rising seas, extended periods of drought and heatwaves, expanding deserts and the risk to global food stocks. "It highlights that we rely on the land for food, energy, water, health and well-being, but it is already under pressure, and climate change will exacerbate these pressures," said Anita Wreford, an associate professor at Lincoln University and co-author of the report. READ MORE: * Food, water, and lands at risk due to climate change, says IPCC report * Climate change report a wake-up call for NZ farming * New Zealand's agricultural future is bright if farmers can adapt * NZ's biggest greenhouse gas emitters and their struggle to pollute less Human use directly affects more than 70 per cent of the global, ice-free land surface in some way. As both populations and total emissions have skyrocketed, the pressure on the land has begun to reach breaking point. There are now over 500 million people living in desert areas that would not have been considered deserts before the 1980s. A full quarter of the world's ice-free land mass is subject to land degradation as a result of human activity. "Underlying everything is that land is absolutely central to everything we do. The food we produce, the energy we use, the things that we value in our cultures. It underpins everything, we've got to look after it," Wreford said. In reaction to the report's release, the University of Canterbury's Dr Bronwyn Hayward said it was a reminder for everyone to take fairer, more sustainable action. "This new IPCC land report is a stark reminder that everything we do affects our climate." For New Zealanders, one "immediate and striking recommendation" was to alter diets from being high in meat and dairy, to being more balanced with plant-based food choices. This would use less land and water and emit fewer greenhouse gases , Hayward said. "This report underscores the importance of understanding how land-use changes, like the shift from native forest to pasture grass, affects our climate as well as our soils. We all have to be more thoughtful in land-use change whether it is the conversion of farmland from sheep to dairy; from dairy to forest, or from food production to housing. All these decisions matter and have serious and far-reaching consequences for our environment and climate." She said at the same time the report did not let other sectors off the hook. While the report notes the impacts land-use and methane have on the climate, it also states how reducing carbon use is also crucial, as well as the importance of cutting back on fossil fuels in urban transport. "We can no longer point the finger at agriculture or at cities and blame each other for not doing enough for climate change. This report reminds us we all have to take action for a fairer, more sustainable future, Hayward said. New Zealand climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger said it was a very significant report that was pertinent to New Zealand's land use of food production and forestry. "Agriculture, forestry and other land use dominate in the production of methane and nitrous oxide. Especially pertinent to New Zealand is that agriculture, forestry and other land use activities account for 44 per cent of methane, and 82 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions globally. "This means that the agricultural sector cannot ignore calls for maximum reductions in methane and nitrous oxide emissions as the international focus will now be on New Zealand's response. The land-based emissions are estimated to be 23 per cent of total net anthropogenic GHG emissions." Salinger also said the report's section on combating drought and desertification was very positive. "The Convention to Combat Drought and Desertification (UNCCD), to which New Zealand is a signatory, has many solutions. Many land-related responses that contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation can also combat desertification and land degradation, and enhance food security." Dr Judy Lawrence of Victoria University agreed the report was valuable. "The value of this report is that it gives decision-makers a good steer on how the different development scenarios affect climate change impacts for the land and environment and the role sectors can play in reducing tradeoffs for society as a whole. "This enables the consequences of their decisions for the global and local communities to be made transparent," she said. The IPCC report made some action and response options, including a suggestion around building urban green infrastructure to reduce the impact of future heat waves and other climatic risks in cities. Andreas Neef, from the University of Auckland, said mitigation and adaptation efforts could only be successfully implemented in a concerted effort of national government, local councils, private sector and civil society. "Starting now and accelerating these efforts over time can help turn our current 'climate emergency' into a climate opportunity," he said. Share your stories, photos and videos.