Climate change report buried by government

Quite apart from the ludicrous and overly-optimistic idea that we are going to see a 4C increase in temperatures by 2100(!) and that is going to see the disappearance of frosts from the North Island, this report has been buried by the government as it doesn't in with their vision of drilling, fracking and mining whereever they can.

Report gives glimpse of NZ in 2100

A new report into climate change paints a picture of New Zealand with more extreme rainfalls, increased heat stress in animals and a growth in forestry production.

TV3,

16 December, 2013

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) report Four Degrees of Global Warming posits a "what-if" scenario of what conditions will be like for the primary sector in 2100 based on two current global climate models.

One of the models, from the Canadian Climate Centre, predicts a 4.4degC increase in the national average temperature, while a German model theorises a smaller 3.1degC change.

The MPI report is based on a 4degC temperature increase.

Temperature rises are believed to be most pronounced in inland and eastern areas, with the largest seasonal temperature rises in winter and the smallest in summer.

"Summers with 20 or more days of conditions that induce heat stress are projected to become more widespread," the report says.

It warns "adaptive measures" could be needed in the dairy sector to deal with increased heat stress on dairy cows. Those measures include introducing more heat-tolerant breeds, milking only during cooler months and providing more shade and cooling.

Extreme rainfalls are projected to increase by 32 percent around the country and will see increases in rain totals between 50 to 150 millimetres in many locations.

Changes in snow accumulation brought about by more rain in winter and less melt in spring and summer are thought to "significantly change the seasonality of flows in major rivers".

Water availability during times of highest irrigation demand is expected to increase, especially during spring and summer because of temperature rises in winter and decreases in soil moisture in hotter months.

This could be disastrous for pasture growth, the report warns.

"Under a milder warming scenario, results suggest that pasture production would not change much, but with a more extreme pattern of climate change, New Zealand pasture could experiences significant adverse effects."

Meanwhile, the forestry industry will see decreases in radiata pine productivity, but this is offset by the enhanced fertilisation effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide which will increase productivity by up to 40 percent. Growth in eucalyptus trees will also drive large increases in productivity.

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