Imagine you started a new job today, a job that not only looked after your prosperity but also ensured the prosperity of your offspring and the Cradle Coast region.
While locked down at the height of our Coronavirus outbreak, I was stuck in a place with clean fresh air, rolling green hills and a view of the ocean. Though many days felt tediously long, and everything seemed out of whack, there was not a single day that I did not recognise I live in the best place in the whole world.
I know I am not alone in that feeling. People here and further afield are realising we have something pretty special in this corner of Tasmania.
Our perceived negatives have become strengths. In an overcrowded world, we have space. On a warming planet we have a cool climate. We have deep productive soils and abundant rainfall. We have reliable renewable energy. We have wilderness and wonder.
These things are important because they fuel who we are as humans. Our natural resources literally provide our needs of food, fresh water, air and energy but they are also at the heart of all the things we love. The quiet walk with the dog, the holiday camping trips, waterfalls, wombats in the snow and bountiful veggie gardens. You don’t have to be a philosopher to recognise our natural environment has a value to us much greater than just our physical existence.
So, if we value these natural resources and they are what underpins the greatness of our Cradle Coast region, how do we ensure their resilience and protection?
Well, we have a new job for you with great pay, lots of perks and autonomy. Even better, you are the boss. The only drawback is that it is full time. Your new job is to remember the natural values of our region – that you rely upon and love – in everything you do. This job is important because protecting our natural resources has big paybacks, sometimes financial and more so in a value even greater.
Protecting our natural environment does not always sit neatly within economic calculations. When we tally up the costs of opening a new outlet, building a new house or installing a centre pivot irrigator we cannot easily put a figure on the long-term environmental impact of that action. If the value cannot be measured it is often neglected and the environment loses out.
Luckily, looking after our natural resources can often also improve profitability. Farmers are consciously bolstering soil carbon and biology and getting the benefits of better nutrient uptake, soil moisture retention and reduced soil erosion while saving money on inputs. Governments, businesses and homeowners can reduce their energy consumption through efficiencies which will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save money.
Another driver of environmental protection is our consumers. People are recognising the importance of nature and showing this through their purchasing decisions. There is a booming market for organic produce. People are demanding transparency in how things are produced, purchasing certified sustainably sourced fish or timber. Consumers are demanding governments and businesses curb GHG emissions and many of our Cradle Coast industries are squarely in the crosshairs.
The red meat and livestock industry currently contribute 10% of Australian GHG emissions prompting Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) to release a plan to dramatically reduce GHG emissions and strive for net zero emission by 2030. With the fate of their industry on the line, with rising vegetarianism and plant based ‘meat’ products, MLA is recognising its need to take swift action to ensure that meat production is truly sustainable if people are to continue to consume it.
So, if everyone takes on this new job, to remember the natural values of our region in everything we do, how do we get paid? We get paid with loyal customers. We get paid with efficiencies. We get paid in the resilience of our production and ecological systems. We get paid in spectacular scenery, stiff southerlies on our faces, the smell of a drenched rainforest. Most importantly our region and our kids will inherit our fortune.
So, your job starts now. Protect the trees on your properties. Measure the carbon emissions of your small family business and strive to reduce them, and tell your customers how you are doing so. Carry your Keep Cup everywhere. Immerse yourself and your family in the natural beauty of our region regularly and remind yourself why your job is so important, because we are privileged to live in the best place in the whole world.
– Hannah Sadler is the Natural Resource Management Engagement Officer at Cradle Coast Authority.