Federal Government Teaching Farmers to Participate in ‘Carbon Markets’ that Don’t Exist Yet

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is teaching farmers how to participate in “carbon markets” despite the fact that such markets do not exist and Congress – in rejecting cap and trade legislation last year – has refused to create them. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan made the admission at the WorldWatch Institute’s 2011 State of World Symposium Wednesday, saying that one of the ways USDA was dealing with climate change was to teach American farmers how to participate in “carbon markets,” the technical term for a cap and trade program. “[USDA] will show farmers clearly and directly how they can benefit from participating in carbon markets,” Merrigan said...more