Climate Bill Compromise Better for Ethanol
Farm state lawmakers led by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) have reached a compromise with Democratic leadership in the House on the so-called climate change bill that makes it more palatable to agriculture and biofuels interests.
Part of the agreement includes allowing USDA to have oversight for agricultural carbon offset programs instead of EPA. “The climate change bill will include a strong agriculture offset program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will allow farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to participate fully in a market-based carbon offset program,” said Peterson. “This agreement also addresses concerns about international indirect land use provisions that unfairly restricted U.S. biofuels producers and exempts agriculture and forestry from the definition of a capped sector.”
The compromise over indirect land use issue was that bill sponsor Henry Waxman (D-CA) will ask the EPA to commission a study of indirect costs and that any method of counting those costs should be agreed to by both USDA and EPA.
Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, was pleased that Peterson and Waxman were able to reach a compromise on the issue. “We believe that additional study of the issue of indirect land use change will further demonstrate that these provisions should never have been a part of the 2007 energy law to begin with,” Buis said in a statement. “This is a good first step in a longer process, including full review by the House and Senate.”
The American Clean Energy and Security Act is expected to come up for a vote on Friday and President Obama encouraged passage during his press conference yesterday. “It is legislation that will finally spark a clean energy transformation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and confront the carbon pollution that threatens our planet,” Obama said.
3 Comments »
Gary Schwendiman
Please google “100 scientists global warming” which will show why the thesis (and conventional wisdom) that human activity causes significant global warming is doubtful.
The U S is on the verge of wasting trillions of dollars in a foolish attempt to try to alter overwhelming cycles of global warming and cooling that have existed for many millions of years.
The money wasted on this foolish effort will significantly lower the standard of living in the world. If the money were used in the most productive ways for food and medicine, it could save hundreds of millions of lives and enable people and countries to adapt to the coming inevitable natural climate change.
Corn holer
Peterson knows which agency is easier to control and so will attempt to change the law to fit his BIOFOOL handlers.
mary
Obama is living in a dream world. He wants done in a year, what normally would take ten.+, and it “ain’t” going to happen, YOU HAVE TO HAVE OIL!! He is selling us into a crisis for energy. I am for alternative, but not at the risk of losing our OIL!!
Comments RSS feed — TrackBack URI
Leave a Comment