The disastrous long-term effects of "sustainability"
Throughout the past few decades, we have seen an environmental movement build up such a hatred of mankind that can easily be coupled with Al-Qaeda (just look at the environmentalist quotes I posted on my previous post on the subject). Although on the surface this movement actually looks rather sane and no major threat to man. But, even the "sane" environmentalists propose something which will be disatrous to mankind: sustainability.
For starters, lets look at the RMA. The RMA, as has been put by the Libertarianz, has "nationalized all land but in name". Apart from the effects on property rights the RMA has had which are disatrous in themselves, today I am looking at the technological and business side of the RMA and similar "sustainable" legislation.
The RMA, as described on Wikipedia, is this:
"The RMA requires the application for a resource consent for any activities that relate to resource use. As part of a resource consent an Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE), a report on the Environmental Impact Assessment is required".
Basically, if you want you do so much as build a doghouse on your property, you need to waste time-and money-waiting for the government to decide if it's alright.
However, a dog house is only a simple building, and will have no environmental impact whatsoever. Lets make the project larger. Lets make it a new hotel, like the Hilton planned for Wellington.
A hotel will be a boost to Wellington's tourism industry as it will provide more accommodation for more tourists. As it is a boost for Wellington's tourist industry, it will be a boost for the government, and local attractions, as more visitors can flock here. All around, it will be beneficial for Wellington, even if some people don't like the look of it (which could be changed otherwise).
However, the Hilton hotel took 14 years to get resource consent. 14 years. The leading advocate of the project died before those 14 years were up.
Waiting 14 years to get resorce censent for a new, low-rise hotel is a disgrace. After that, there are the years needed to build it, which could be at least two or three.
As many will agree, New Zealand's infrastructure is ageing. We are behind many other OECD nations in upgrading our infrastructure, and the resource management act is only going to magnify the problem.
25 or so years from now, we can presume from current trends that New Zealand is going to continue passing new "sustainable" legislation. When we actually have to upgrade important infrastructure, like dams, and have the money, it may be too late. The RMA would have already caused many blackouts, like the ones witnessed in the South Island. We are experiencing those blackouts today.
Why? Because the RMA is preventing us from building new dams, or at least upgrading current ones, to make NZ's infrastructure better. Although there are other factors, the RMA is the biggest culprit. Taking less than half 14 years to wait for a dam to be built is a disgrace, and a big problem.
The solution is, not just in New Zealand but increasingly around the world, to roll-back "sustainable" legislation and start building new infrastructure to last at least two generations.
It is natural for human populations to grow. If we don't provide the infrastructure and develop the technology necessary for the needs of the 21st Century, especially as nations in Asia and, recently, South America continue to develop, and the human population increases, we will indeed be facing economic and political crisis, just as the Stern Report said.
That's not very "sustainable" is it?
Sources: Wikipedia-Resource Management Act
6 comments:
I know what you mean. My mother wants to own a pet store. She had a good place for it decided upon until he found out the council required resource consent for shops to be in the area, even if, like in her case, they were just renting an existing area and not doing any construction. She has seen what the RMA does to delay things. So she decided to try and find another place without even applying for resource consent.
That was August. She still hasn't found a suitable place. All the places she has found are totally unsuitable.
She also needs resource consent to set up the shop in her own home.
Her pet store could rake her in heaps of money as it would be the only pet shop within 30+ kilometers! And my sister asked heaps of the locals if they would go to a local pet store rather than drive 30+ kilometers to the Massey pet store. Every one said yes and gave the saving in using way less petrol as their reason.
So in short, the RMA has created massive delays in a legitimate business that could make heaps of money for a struggling woman and that is without an application for resource consent!
Yeah, it's really ridiculous.
By the way, the post before your's was deleted. I didn't delete it. Who deleted it and what did it say?
Another thing I should point out about sustainability is that it drastically slows resource extraction. This won't sound bad on the surface, but coupled with a growing population and increasing development, will put a serious strain on industry and the wellbeing of the Western World. When resources really start running out, the market will show it as businesses would make changes so resources can be used over the long term. By then, however, we should be well and truly able to extract resources from other planets, asteroids and the like.
I deleted it. Blogger includes the ability for commenters to delete their own comments. As for what it had, it was the same as the second one, except with some errors that the second corrected.
Another thing I should point out about sustainability is that it drastically slows resource extraction. This won't sound bad on the surface, but coupled with a growing population and increasing development, will put a serious strain on industry and the wellbeing of the Western World.
Indeed. And the development of more efficient use of resources, not to mention the development of less polluting resources. This creates further serious strain on industry and the wellbeing of the Western World.
Yes and that's the really important thing. Resources are finite, we should use them to create methods to extract more resources in more places, and extract them more effieciently. The RMA is a barrier to this and is therefore bad for the environment.
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