This month, Roger Evans shares his thoughts on climate change and tells us why a dose of reality and common sense is helpful when dealing with the issues of the day.
Im writing this at the kitchen table. The television is on, it is always on in our kitchen, and it is time for the six oclock news.
I dont really pay it much attention, but I can hear what is being said. Every reporter mentions climate change.
Climate change is even mentioned in the sports round-up.
I am probably wrong, but I remember 1976 being much worse than what happened last year, and in 1976 no-one mentioned climate change, they just blamed the weather.
Im not a climate change sceptic, but what happened in 2022 has given those who blame farmers, such as vegans, a boost that we could well do without.
In 1976 I am sure we didnt have any rain for three months. Last year we had the odd, occasional shower, but the fields and lawn were very brown.
Reality
One of the troubles is that these people want to get from A to B in one year, but in reality it could take a generation.
If A is where we are now and B is where we need to be, it will take time.
If it was left to me I would go ahead with fracking that could keep us going in the short-term.
What I have difficulty with is some of the things which are being done in the name of climate change. I could never see the benefit of cutting down a tree in North America, turning it into wood pellets and burning those pellets in this country. But apparently that is okay.
Did you know that a lot of chicken sheds are now heated with wood? That sounds okay, but I have heard reports that some of the older sheds are heated with wood anyway, they never put chickens in there.
The subsidy on the wood comes to more money than the chickens were making anyway. But if it is to do with climate change and it is burning renewables, it is apparently okay.
I wonder what lies in store for the rest of winter? One thing is for sure, it could be harsh or mild or somewhere in between, but whatever we have it will be a further sign of climate change.
Organic
Years ago I used to go to organic meetings. It was when I was involved in a milk co-op. We had an excellent organic rep, but he lived in Cirencester.
If you live in West Wales, Cirencester is not very handy, so I used to go to the meetings to make sure our co-op was represented.
I can remember that organic milk producers were having a hard time just then and most of their milk ended up on the conventional milk marketplace.
This didnt work for them and at one meeting we spent a good hour on this tale of woe. The chair then wanted to move on, but I said: Hang on, we have not done anything to help.
So I proposed that if a persons milk went to a conventional market, he or she should be allowed to buy conventional inputs. If the market should change, and this wasnt going to happen overnight, then they should go back onto organic inputs three months before.
Relief
This was agreed on and provided welcome relief to lot of farmers, possibly 100/tonne on the concentrates they were buying.
Sitting next to me at the meeting were two representatives of audit bodies. They both had beards and I particularly remember they were the first people I saw who had laptops in front of them at a meeting. Most of us used to scribble our notes the best we could.
They hadnt thought much of my proposition. They wouldnt see that these organic milk producers were only just hanging on and that some of them might go back to conventional milk production, not because they wanted to, but because they had to.
They just thought organic was the answer whatever the cost and couldnt, or wouldnt, see the real picture.
It was well into winter and it was raining, but some of the rain was coming down white it was what I call a raw day.
When the meeting finished, I pushed my chair back from the table, as you do. These two both had smart suits on, but as I could also see that they both wore sandals, no socks, just sandals.
That said a lot to me. Why would you go about with your feet exposed to the elements if you lived in the real world?
