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Capitol Hill lawmakers in fog over greenhouse-gas debate
Wilson County News
November 3, 2009 | 4 comments
When the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as “cap-and-trade,” in June, that wasn’t the last Americans would hear about greenhouse gases. Two bills are currently getting a lot of attention in Congress, and could mean sweeping changes for Americans, their livelihoods, and lifestyles.
Proposed bills
The first bill, HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill, passed the House in June. This bill aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States by 17 percent by the year 2020 (using 2005 levels).
A second bill that also is receiving criticism is Senate Bill (S) 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, also known as the Boxer-Kerry Bill. This bill, if approved “as is,” aims to reduce emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.
Both bills, summarized on the Web site GovTrack.us, plan to “create clean energy jobs, promote energy independence, reduce global warming pollution, and transition to a clean energy economy.”
Chris Clayton, an ag policy editor, spoke during a DTN/The Progressive Farmer Webinar Oct. 27, to discuss the proposed climate-change legislation and what it means to agribusinesses.
According to Clayton, the potential impact on producers and consumers includes carbon credits, carbon offsets, and indirect land-use change, and who would control these programs.
The American Farm Bureau Federation is deeply concerned about greenhouse gases, and the impact legislation will have on farmers, including increased costs for fertilizer, fuel, and machinery. These costs will, in turn, increase the cost of food, clothing, and other items for consumers.
“More benefits and opportunities than cost and concern, is the general crux of the fight when it comes to agriculture in this bill,” Clayton said.
Benefits, opportunities
Alternative-energy sources discussed briefly by Clayton included the use of wind and solar energy, as well as biomass.
Solar farms and the use of windmills are more “rural America,” Clayton said. All this translates to more rural jobs, he said, a potential benefit of the legislation.
Renewable sources, such as biomass -- waste products including straw, dead trees, tree branches, and animal waste that can be converted into fuel, electricity, and heat -- have the potential to lessen America’s dependence on oil and gas.
Missouri producers, for example, have been pelleting straw, seed grass, and flowers for biomass use, according to Clayton. Not only is waste being used for alternative energy sources, but biomass also creates income.
Under the 2009 USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program, producers received matching funds up to $45 per ton for products used for biomass.
Downsides
The bills do not simply provide benefits. There are downsides, too, Clayton said.
The issue of a land-use shift is one source of controversy in the bills.
In the House version, a long-term five-year study of biofuel production will be conducted regarding agricultural offsets -- payment or credit offered when farm acreage is not planted and remains idle, as in conservation programs. This farming practice aids in reduction of one of the greenhouse gases being monitored -- carbon dioxide. When land is plowed for planting, the carbon dioxide stored in the ground is released back into the atmosphere.
Also, opponents argue that idling 40 million to 60 million acres of farmland for U.S. carbon credits will lead to a food shortage for a world population expected to reach 9 billion people in 2050.
Forestry is a second source of controversy. Since forestry is considered more beneficial than cropland, because all parts of the trees -- from leaves to branches -- can be recycled, opponents say this could lead to more deforestation as a means to meet global gas-emissions policies.
Regulatory agency
One of the differences in the two bills, Clayton said, is that the House bill gives control to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to administer the carbon-offset program for the agricultural industry. Wind, solar, and biofuels are all included in the carbon-offset credits that are considered effective ways to reduce global greenhouse-gas
emissions.
The Senate bill does not contain specifics on exemptions for the agricultural industry, Clayton said.
The EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Energy will be involved in a study of indirect land use for the production of biodiesel and ethanol.
In the Senate version, “the president would decide which agency runs agriculture offsets,” Clayton said.
With health-care reform currently being discussed in Congress, Clayton said it is unlikely the Senate will debate the bill in 2009. He predicts some lawmakers could lose their seats, depending on how they vote on the cap-and-trade issue. |
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Rock'n chair Rambler
Over Taxed, TX
November 11, 2009 6:15pm
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4th Generation Texan
Sutherland Springs
November 11, 2009 2:21pm
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Mediation Time
La Vernia
November 10, 2009 6:40pm
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Gitta Rohpe
November 4, 2009 4:48pm
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