Source: Greenpeace Statement
Greenpeace has taken rural New Zealand’s nitrate emergency straight to the top, by projecting a modified Fonterra sign reading “The nitrate emergency: It starts here” onto the dairy giant’s Auckland headquarters overnight.
“Fonterra is driving a drinking water crisis across rural New Zealand, so we’ve brought the issue back to its source,” says Greenpeace’s Canterbury-based spokesperson, Will Appelbe.
“The nitrate emergency may be showing up in Canterbury’s taps, but it starts right here in Fonterra’s boardrooms. While rural communities are unable to drink from their taps without fear of getting sick, Miles Hurrell is making millions.
“In July, Hurrell held a press conference to address the extortionate price of butter. But when will he front up to the people of Canterbury for the nitrate emergency his company has caused?”
The projection follows Greenpeace’s action last week at Canterbury’s first new dairy conversion site, where the group installed a similar modified Fonterra sign. Environment Canterbury figures show up to 21,000 new cows have been consented for the region this year alone, with applications that would add another 15,000 currently being processed.
“There can be no more dairy expansion in a nitrate emergency,” says Appelbe. “There are already too many cows on the Canterbury Plains. Fonterra should be reducing the herd size, not growing it.”
Studies show that regions of intensive dairying in Aotearoa have high rates of nitrate contamination – which is linked to several health risks.
A recent groundwater study by GNS Science indicates that more than 100,000 people in New Zealand may be exposed to nitrate at levels associated with increased risks of preterm birth, predominantly in rural areas like Canterbury, Southland and Waikato.
“Everyone deserves safe, healthy drinking water,” Appelbe says. “But right now, thousands of rural families can’t drink from their own taps without worrying about their health, especially in Canterbury.”
With local elections looming, Greenpeace is urging Cantabrians to vote for clean drinking water.
“Environment Canterbury has declared a nitrate emergency, but there is so much more to do. Incoming ECan councillors must be prepared to put their money where their mouth is. It’s time to put an end to dairy expansion and phase out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, because safe, healthy drinking water is a fundamental human right.”
Notes on nitrate and health risks:
A prominent Danish study indicated that long-term exposure to levels of nitrate as low as 1 mg/L may be linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, while other studies have linked levels of nitrate at 5 mg/L or higher to an increased risk of pre-term birth.
