Green choices, Green judgement and a 2 hour drive

Green choices

About 5 years ago I joined an Australian environmental organisation. I did so because amongst other things, I agreed with their approach to environmental sustainability.

At the time their message was about sustainability through multi-layered environmental management.

This included promoting realistic environmental management techniques. Supporting environmental industries as employers of the future and putting forward the argument that long term employment, income and ‘commonwealth’ could flow from a well managed environment. Most importantly for me they encouraged responsible interaction with the environment rather than the typical lock-out or isolation model.

I see responsible interaction as being all about building a connection. I was, and am today strongly opposed to any approach that isolates people from the environment, be that isolation a physical barrier or policy that simply cuts people out of the environmental picture.

All isolation seems to do is distance individuals, and the wider community from the environment and leads in many cases to unmanageable outcomes.

On a recent trip to Fraser Island my partner and I experienced the isolation approach first hand. The administration of the Dingo population is really one that isolates, rather than allows meaningful interaction. While I completely agree the Dingo population on Fraser Island has to be managed, I don’t see what is happening at present as a very successful way to going about it.

My partner best summed it up when she said that with all the electrified Dingo grids, Dingo fences, Dingo warning signs and Dingo safety videos you could easily be convinced that Dingoes were potential man eaters - almost in the same category as Lions and Bears. The trouble with all the warnings was they did nothing to help us understand Dingoes, the wider Fraser Island environment and how we might successfully interact. It simply created a physical and mental barrier.

Somehow we managed to survive and all we saw of the Dingos were tracks on a sandy beach one morning while taking a walk.

At our place, while we obviously have opinions on environmental management, we also try to live by our personal eco ideals. Though I drink rum and steer well clear of chardonnay and my partner just can’t understand all the fuss over coffee, if you ran a cursory eye over how we live - you might say we are city greens.

We are both public transport advocates and users, we recycle, our accumulated rubbish rarely fills the council bin and in the cooler months we often don’t need to put the bin out on a weekly basis. We use green energy, our home has been upgraded with green improvements and we have retro fitted a number of water and energy saving devices.

While a 2 car family, our total vehicle use is quite small and our vehicles are 4 cylinder models.

We’re also made some longer term green choices, like replacing older appliances with those that use less water and energy and in the case of the air-conditioner, doing away with it all together. Also a percentage of our food is home grown and we are even considering getting chooks.

Green judgement

So with all this green trumpet blowing on my part you might be surprised to know that very recently I quit the environmental organisation. I did so not because I had a change of heart and bought a coal powered Cadillac El Dorado, erected an oil derrick in my backyard and replaced all our eco friendly light fittings with halogen bulbs. No, I did so because after a series of conversations with the organisation it became clear that rather than being regarded as a green urbanite – I was somewhat red, as in the neck and horribly cruel to boot. Why? Because I hunt.

Now I hunt for many reasons, one being that it is a remarkably good source of food. As with my gardening, hunting contributes to our total food needs in what I believe is a very environmentally beneficial manner.

However the mention of hunting drew a certain response and quick judgement from my erstwhile environmental friends – what you might call a Green Judgement. It seems that hunting has no place in the context of the ideals of environmental management and interaction.

Their take on hunting was one of isolation. Hunting and hunters must not be allowed access; the environment must be wholly protected. Further hunting was not only bad for the environment, it was downright offensive, cruel, horrible and completely unnecessary.

So is hunting cruel? I believe not. Do hunters act cruelly, again I don’t believe so. I know many hunters and all understand the enormity and finality of a successful hunt.

Consequently they spend considerable time and effort in seeking to reduce any potential suffering and most are amateur ‘experts’ who demonstrate a real connection with game.

I also know and have in a very small way contributed to the establishment of hunting rules to ensure specie sustainability. These rules are completely voluntary and have no legality other than the agreement by members to follow and enforce them.

So while I’m not real concerned with the cruelty comments what is a concern is that green judgement appears to have become an influencer of supposedly sensible policy. Worse still it appears to be more and more a part of government decision making.

Take for example the ban on Duck and Quail hunting. Here in Queensland Duck and Quail hunting was banned back in 2005. A number of reasons were given for this decision at the time; many to me appear to be emotive and strongly influenced by green judgement.

If you are interested just Google Duck hunting ban in Queensland and you’ll get an idea of the various groups who pushed for the ban. One of the standout reasons was that Duck and Quail hunting was an unnecessary barbaric pastime.
Now while I might find some black humour in having my preferred pastime put me in the same league as Conan (as in the Barbarian) – the ban and the reasons for it simply made no sense.

Many people eat Duck, in fact my partner and I did so on our recent trip to Fraser. We did it in a very unbarbaric setting and like a number of people dining that night thoroughly enjoyed it. Coincidently of the many people who enjoy eating Duck some are Duck hunters.

Contrary to what some might believe and promote; Duck hunting, and for that matter hunting in general isn’t about playing barbarian or red neck. A Duck hunter doesn’t buy a licence, spend thousands of dollars on gear, spend even more money and time buying and training a dog, drive a goodly distance from home and stand around in freezing water ‘cause they like shootin’ stuff. They do it for a tangible if not guaranteed outcome, Duck for the table.

While the activity may provide a continuing link to a person’s cultural heritage and while it might also provide a very enjoyable and engaging pastime to be shared with family and friends, for the vast majority of Duck hunters, the primary aim is to gather food.

Additionally, season and breeding cycle based Duck hunting contributes favourably to the continuing sustainability of wild bird populations and allows access to a sustainable food source. Based on anecdotal evidence Duck hunting also appears to cost the environment less than those costs associated with commercial animal farming. Finally as a licence to hunt must be bought it is also a revenue source for Government.

So while in dire economic times it is good for consumer confidence to have any number of people farm, transport and sell you a Duck, it’s barbaric to spend a great deal of time and money so as to have the opportunity to hunt a Duck for the very same outcome.

Now I whole heartedly respect someone’s desire for not wanting to hunt and I’m not saying that buying and hunting Duck is the same process. However I cannot see how paying is good, while DIY is barbaric. Further I certainly can’t understand how hunting is not environmentally beneficial and in fact would argue that it produces a much smaller carbon footprint.

All over the world hunting is used to help sustainably manage wildlife, and Australia is no exception. We use hunting and hunters, both professional and recreational to manage native and feral animal populations on a daily basis.

The unfortunate thing about Duck and Quail hunting is it’s a 2005 issue. It’s banned in Queensland and so for many it’s now a bygone activity; though with drought breaking rain it may become very much an issue in 2010. Especially if we see a dramatic increase in wild bird population and how this might adversely effect agriculture and the wider environment. But at present this is pure speculation and a little wishful thinking on my part.

Deer however are very much a now issue and again I personally believe that green judgement has given us a very poor outcome in Queensland.

Deer have recently been declared a pest, which is really a cop-out. It pushes their control onto land owners and the tax payer and I believe came into effect through the influence of green judgement and its perception that hunting has no place in environmental management.

A number of Queenslanders actively hunt Deer, I’m one of them and for me Deer are both a meat source and a trophy animal. The trophy part of Deer hunting is what is most often criticized as an unacceptable activity. The thing is that for those of you who may not be aware - trophy animals are also a meat source; the only difference is the primary motivation for hunting.

Now with the declaration of Deer as a pest, an economic and environmentally beneficial opportunity has been missed, though I hope not lost.

If Deer were classified as a Game Animal, they could be hunted at a cost from which the proceeds would go to the State Government and indirectly to the local regional communities where Deer are most prevalent. Also the adverse effects Deer have on the environment; which is one of the reasons for their pest classification could be managed from a cost positive position.

Hunters, like the world over could apply for a licence, hunt the Deer and gather the meat for personal use. This would create a process where people pay to hunt, rather than as in the current situation where the whole thing is run at a loss.

However for this to occur there would have to an acceptance of the benefits of hunting, something that those who exert green judgement seem unable to stomach as well as a decision to listen to both sides of the argument on the part of policy makers.

A 2-hour drive

So where is there a system that utilises hunting to benefit the environment, where can you see a working model? Well this is what the ‘2 hour drive’ refers to. If you live in Brisbane and want to see an environmental management approach that utilises and benefits from recreational hunting participation, all you need to do is take a 2 hour drive.

If you head south into Cockroach Territory - down old Mexico way - while you may be hard pressed to find a decent Rugby League team you will find an effective environmental management system.

In New South Wales (NSW) I, along with many other Queenslanders are currently recognised as Voluntary Conservation Hunters.

This impressive title - unfortunately not bestowed by royal decree - is for those who have undertaken the training, gained accreditation and paid the necessary fee so as to hunt in selected State Forests and aid in the control of feral and game species for the benefit of NSW and its environment.

The process is legislatively endorsed, controlled and effectively administered through the NSW Game Council.

The activities of the Game Council and its accredited Voluntary Conservation Hunters include:

 Directly benefiting the environment through the removal of feral pests from NSW State Forests.

 Providing further benefit to agriculture by removing pests that would otherwise impose a cost on the industry and individual agriculturists.

 Helping to reduce the overall cost burden associated with controlling these pests, by utilising volunteers.

While certain types may say it’s foolish of me to spend my own money to help NSW save theirs, I don’t mind spending the bucks at all. It allows me to hunt, to gather food if I wish and to positively contribute to the environment - three things that I really like doing.

Now as a Queenslander it is almost a pathological requirement for me to second rate NSW, however I have to admit that it feels a lot better being an eco-warrior in NSW than a barbarian in the Smart State.