TIM GROSER NATIONAL HERO

Out of the burning fires of dissent in Copenhagen comes a phoenix of commonsense and pragmatism.Tim Groser has against a backdrop of one of the most highly charged international events in some time, managed to secure a deal that unites nations large and small under one scientific collective.

Fourteen per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture, but for New Zealand and parts of the developing world, that figure is much higher.

"There is an urgent need to develop technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration in agriculture while enhancing food security," Mr Groser said.

The Global Research Alliance will look at ways to mitigate emissions from Agriculture. We think it will do much more. It will also provide some common sense science that may help us better understand Agricultures part in green house gas production.

Tim has pulled off a significant coup and overtime New Zealand will understand that this one initiative could be of significant benefit to our country's economy.

We listened to Charles Chauval on Radio NZ this morning saying that the alliance may see us lose valuable intellectual property. That shows two things - that he doesn't understand the long term implications of this deal and that he is small minded as well as small statured. This is public good science and we should feel proud to have led this initiative.