Once again, the histrionics of fossil fuel protectors masquerades as public policy.

While agriculture (all agriculture, not just cows) is the highest methane producer, energy production, particularly using fossil fuels, is close. Not that nothing is being done in the agriculture field! Research has been occurring for years, with great success, trialling alternative foodstocks for cattle that reduce methane emissions. More efficient practices have led many graziers to produce the same amount of meat with lower stocking rates, leading to reduced methane emissions.

It is very clear that urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane in the short term, is critical if we are to have any chance of holding global temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees.

Methane emissions could be almost halved by moving from fossil fuels to renewables - without taking even one step to reduce methane from agriculture. Just the reduction in fugitive emissions would be immense.

As we reduce methane levels, we must continue reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

For all the Morrison Government's hype about Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS, and other not yet existing technologies, to achieve its target of net zero emissions by 2050, there has not yet been any project undertaken that is commercially viable.

Santos, who (in something from an alternate reality) sponsored the Australian Government stand at COP26 in Glasgow, plan to use CCS in one of its gas projects but will only capture about two per cent of emissions.

We already have a very efficient CCS process. It's called a tree. Agriculture can be at the centre of moving to a green economy, helping to reduce both methane and carbon in sufficient quantities and a quick enough time frame to head off the worst of the impending climate disaster. Planting crops captures carbon. Growing and sustaining trees captures and stores carbon far more efficiently than any artificial process trialled to date.

Farmers across the North-West have been active for over a decade against coal and gas extraction on prime agricultural land. The value of this land to food production is recognised by the state government but they keep approving coal and gas projects in the area.

This is land that could be leading our efforts to capture and store carbon and reduce methane emissions ... and feeding us as well.