Therefore, We Shouldn't Have Commodity Programs
Special to Mulch from Ames, IA EWG analyst Andrew Hug.
In the September issue of the American Farm Bureau's Ag Agenda, AFB president Bob Stallman penned a post entitled, "A Climate Bill That Won't Change the Climate"
The missive is part of the Farm Bureau's efforts to oppose a climate bill at all costs, though paradoxically they are adamantly for the offsets proposed in the bill.
Participating in an offset program will depend to a great degree on where the producer is located, what he or she grows and if his or her business can take advantage of the program. Not every dairy farmer can afford to capture methane. Not every farmer lives in a region where wind turbines are an option. Not every farmer can take advantage of no-till. And not every farmer has the land to set aside to plant trees."
Therefore, we shouldn't have a climate change bill.
However, if you think about it, participating in a commodity program will depend to a great degree on where the producer is located, what crops his or her soil and climate enables them to grow, and if his or her business decisions about crop rotations allow them to take advantage of the program.
Not every farmer can afford GPS corn planters. Not every farmer lives in a region where cotton or rice are an option. Not every farmer can take advantage of soybeans. And not every farmer has enough land to sustain a family by raising wheat.
Therefore we shouldn't have commodity programs.
Comments
I guess it just depends on how much you want your milk to cost. The livestock industry is continually improving its operations to decrease CO2 and emissions. The climate change bill shouldn't focus on farmers, it should be focusing on our highly inefficient vehicles and transportation methods. How many semis did I see on the road yesterday? How much harmful emissions do they spit out into the air everyday? I hardly think a few cows make a difference.
Posted by: Emily | September 18, 2009 11:08 AM
Focus, maybe not, but of course agriculture should be included in a climate bill.
From the March 2007 report by the Congressional Research Service:
"Emissions from agricultural activities account for about 6% of all GHG emissions in the United States."
"The types of GHG emissions associated with agricultural activities are methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are two of the key gases that contribute to GHG emissions. These gases are significant contributors to atmospheric warming and have a greater effect warming than the same mass of CO2. Agricultural sources of CH4 emissions mostly occur as part of the natural digestive process of animals and manure management in U.S. livestock operations.
Sources of N2O emissions are mostly associated with soil management and
commercial fertilizer and manure use on U.S. croplands, as well as production of nitrogen-fixing crops. Emissions of N2O from agriculture sources account for about two-thirds of all reported agriculture emissions; emissions of CH4 account for about one-third of all reported agriculture emissions. Across all economic sectors, the U.S. agricultural sector was the leading source of N2O emissions (72%) and a major
source of CH4 emissions (29%) in 2004."
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/81931.pdf
Posted by: Rudy | September 21, 2009 9:28 AM