Farmers Union: Agriculture Can Address Climate Change
Farmers Union: Agriculture Can Address Climate Change
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2008) – National Farmers Union was part of a coalition of 13 organizations in a letter sent today to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer and Ranking Member James Inhofe outlining a number of principle priorities within federal climate change legislation. The groups thanked the committee for recognizing the role agriculture can play in helping the United States address climate change, through storing carbon on agricultural lands as well as capturing greenhouse gases on livestock facilities. Carbon sequestration projects on agricultural lands are the easiest and most readily available means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a meaningful scale. National Farmers Union President Tom Buis pointed to the Farmers Union Carbon Credit program as a step in the right direction. The voluntary program has enrolled 3.6 million acres across the country since October 2006. “There are no better stewards of the land than those involved in agriculture,” Buis said. “Farmers and ranchers are eager to play a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our environment for future generations.” The coalition urged the committee to consider the following: “We look forward to working with the Senate to craft a bill that maximizes carbon sequestration from agricultural lands,” Buis said.
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