Farm bill provides opportunity

November 17, 2007
By Hannah Fletcher

farmbill

As the sun sets on a new farm bill, a recent study reported the energy title has been and has further potential to offset CO2 emissions, which scientists believe will aid efforts to curb global warming.
IFT photo by Tim Hoskins

As climate change concerns creep into new laws, a recent study shows farm policy already is aiding the cause and has potential to further curb gases that cause global warming.

"Mitigating Global Warming through the Farm Bill," a study released by the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), is the first to examine the potential greenhouse-gas savings as a result of the farm bill’s energy title programs.

"This study shows how robust clean-energy programs in the farm bill can counteract global warming while helping farm families and rural communities," says Charles Kubert, the study’s co-author and ELPC’s senior environmental business specialist.

In a conference call, researchers cited energy crops, wind power, solar power and other clean-power sources as reasons the energy title and on-farm efforts already are making a difference in reduced emissions and has the potential to reduce emissions more if fully supported in the farm bill.

For example, among other figures, the study found:

Grain-derived ethanol potentially reduces relative greenhouse gas emissions by 18 to 29 percent compared with gasoline emissions;
cellulosic ethanol has the potential to displace 85-90 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with gasoline;
biodiesel has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by about 80 percent compared with petroleum diesel fuel;
wind power generated by a one-megawatt turbine can displace about 1,600 metric tons of CO2 each year and generates no greenhouse gas pollution; and
anaerobic digesters that processes livestock manure waste can capture methane and generate up to 2,900 megawatt hours of electricity, potentially displacing about 4,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually.

Among others, these are an example of farm projects already making a difference and have the potential to do more, notes John Moore, senior ELPC attorney. "The energy title, with only a couple of really well-funded programs, has already been a huge uccess,” he says.

Kubert says if all programs in the upcoming farm bill’s energy title are fully taken advantage of and supported, the programs have the potential to displace about 57 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution per year. "That number — 57 million metric tons — is per year. These are not one-time savings, they would continue through the life of the programs," he says. To accomplish that feat, the study suggests law makers allot $1 billion to the energy title, Moore says.

"We assume, over the next five years, at $1 billion per year (designated for the energy title) that is still less than 2 percent of total farm bill budget," he says. "Let’s hope Americans look back later and are grateful for the foresight of this Congress."

The researchers noted every bit of funding helps the cause.

"Even with the relatively modest funding of less than $100 million a year in the last few years, several programs from the 2002 farm bill are encouraging farmers and rural businesses to invest in clean energy production and efficiency improvements, which also results in greenhouse gas savings," the study states.

Overall, researchers hope Congress will note the potential effect of the farm bill on energy projects and displacing emissions. They hope to see an increase in funding.

"Between the House and Senate, we think they both have a ways to go to meet $1 billion per year," Moore says.

Fully funded programs will not only help the United States meet its reduction in emissions’ goals, but farmers will benefit, too.

"We believe that it would be a win-win-win for everyone," Moore says. The study’s authors used their findings to note the opportunity the next farm bill presents. "Global warming is the single biggest challenge of our times," Moore says. "We know that for global warming concerns, the next five years are important," he says, noting the next farm bill will cover the same period. "The farm bill is the next big opportunity to tackle this."