No Climate Change Fix Without New Land Use, Farming Policies

The world cannot effectively address climate change without altering our relationship with soil, the world’s third largest carbon pool, according to a new report. Changing the way we manage land and produce food can offset 25 percent of worldwide fossil fuel emissions, putting agriculture and land use near the center of the climate change fight, a report from Worldwatch Institute and Ecoagriculture Partners concluded. “Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use” estimates the two sectors are responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions, yet the international science and policy communities have lagged in embracing efforts in these areas. That’s despite the fact that existing practices and innovations can sequester greenhouse gases now present in the atmosphere, while other remedies, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, may only reduce future emissions. "While these initiatives are integral in the transition to a low-carbon economy, any strategy that seeks to mitigate global climate change without reducing emissions from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses is doomed to fail," Co-author Sara Scherr of Ecoagriculture Partners, said in a statement...GreenBiz

Listen to me again: Global Warming = Land Use Controls.

They've been trying to get federal land use planning every since Henry "Scoop" Jackson introduced The National Land Use Policy Act in 1970. That bill passed the Senate twice, but never passed the House. Jackson was also the author of NEPA, and they were meant to work together. The public lands section of the 1970 legislation eventually became FLPMA.

The ESA, CWA and the CAA have been used to impose land use restrictions, but now they hope the global warming scare will give them the rationale and political boost to go all the way.

If the economic "crisis" results in the feds owning 70 percent of General Motors, what makes you think a global warming "crisis" won't result in a government "plan" for your farm or ranch?

And don't forget to send in your Premises Registration...

Here's the summary of the livestock section of their report:


Climate-friendly livestock production. Rapid growth in demand for livestock products has triggered a huge rise in the number of animals, the concentration of wastes in feedlots and dairies, and the clearing of natural grasslands and forests for grazing. Livestock-related emissions of carbon and methane now account for 14.5 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions—more than the transport sector. A reduction in livestock numbers may be needed but production innovations can help, including rotational grazing systems, manure management, methane capture for biogas production, and improved feeds and feed additives.