Lawmakers ready new ag climate bill with major GOP backing

 

A bipartisan bill aimed at bolstering agricultural carbon markets has garnered enough Republican support to have a good chance of passage in the Senate. It's a positive sign for the industry’s pivot to be part of the solution on climate as the Biden administration seeks sweeping action on the issue.

Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) reintroduced on Tuesday a revamped version of their Growing Climate Solutions Act. The proposal has 17 Republicans on board — more than enough to meet the 60 vote threshold for cloture. Boozman, the ranking member of the committee, had previously expressed skepticism about the bill but now backs the effort.

What’s in the bill: The bipartisan bill would create a structure at the Department of Agriculture to help farmers increase their adoption of “climate smart practices” and have better access to voluntary carbon markets, Stabenow told reporters on a Tuesday call.

Why it matters: Paying farmers to capture more carbon dioxide in their soil has been proposed as a way to combat global warming, but the burgeoning private markets for carbon credits vary in quality. Farmers and ranchers have also expressed worry that large agribusinesses and multinational food companies would use their political prowess and market heft to benefit from the credits...MORE

The bipartisan bill would create a structure at the Department of Agriculture to help farmers increase their adoption of “climate smart practices” and have better access to voluntary carbon markets, Stabenow told reporters on a Tuesday call.

Here the D.C. Deep Thinkers are saying farmers aren't changing their production practices at an acceptable rate, or that those who are changing are adopting dumb practices rather than "climate smart practices" as defined by the government. There are various economic reasons for the former and I seriously doubt the latter.                         

 ...but the burgeoning private markets for carbon credits vary in quality        

Something is "burgeoning" in the private sector? Oh no, the DC Deep Thinkers cannot allow that.

The fact the private markets "vary in quality" is of course the beauty of markets. Given sufficient demand and opportunity for profit, the market will offer a wide array of options. Then let the producer select the option that best fits their operation. Otherwise, you are looking at a small basket of "government approved" options.  

   bill would create a structure at the Department of Agriculture...voluntary carbon markets.

Whenever you create a "structure" in a federal agency to oversee a voluntary program, history teaches the odds are, over time, the "structure" will become a bureau or a division and the program mandatory.

 “Most of these carbon markets are complex and farmers need help to get started,” Stabenow said.                                                                                                                             

These ag producers manage land, livestock, crops and sophisticated heavy equipment. They manage their own budget and the marketing of their products. Yet the DC Deep Thinkers believe they need government's help in selecting a program because it is all too complex?

 Therein you find the word that almost always leads to more government spending and control  The word is  "complex".  Whenever you hear a politician utter the word "complex" be assured it will be followed by expressing the need for some new government expansion.

In reality, the exact opposite is true: the more complex an issue the less the government should be involved. Governments have demonstrated over and over again that they cannot manage simple, straight forward programs. Why on earth, then, would anybody think they could adequately manage a "complex" issue or program?