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On reason and justified arguments
Authors: Paul Smale, Euan MasonPublication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2008, Issue N.Z.J.For. 53(4) 2009, pp 6, Jan 2009
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Abstract: When John Purey-Cust expressed the view in August 2008 that the Journal be equation free I am sure that he did not intend that articles be virtually “text free”. In his editorial of that issue then editor Euan Mason disagreed with John’s view, but he has gone on in the November issue to co-author an opinion piece with Hugh Stevenson that largely consists of 8 photographs illustrating the conversion of plantation to pasture on the Canterbury Plains. Euan and Hugh’s opinion is not explicitly expressed but the inference is clear that they disagree with the process. No arguments are presented to support their view. With regard to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Euan’s editorial in the same issue states “We should vigorously promote wider values of forestry so that no matter what happens to the ETS, the public knows what it is losing if forested area declines further” and goes on to list some of the attributes that plantations provide. I couldn’t agree more, and suggest that Euan and Hugh’s article would have been far more credible had it also described the attributes lost when converting from plantation to pasture, better still, to have quantified and valued the attributes and carried out some sort of cost benefit analysis.