Carbon credits discussed at meeting

By DELORES MEISTER

Thursday, September 04, 2008


TEKAMAH - Graham Christensen expressed excitement about potential ways producers can tap into new rural economic development opportunities during his presentation at a recent District 6 Farmers Union informational meeting here.

He is public affairs director of the Nebraska Farmers Union, which has conducted about 30 meetings across the state on new carbon credit and wind energy development programs.

Christensen said science is showing global levels of carbon dioxide are rising. Long-range carbon dioxide levels can be determined by taking air samples from glaciers, as well as documenting temperature.

This indicates, he said, that the age-old argument of patterns warming and cooling seems to hold true. The real problem, Christensen said, is that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have never been as high as they are today. This most likely also means increased temperatures as well.

"Nebraska Farmers Union sees this as an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to lead the way with renewable energy technologies and also by taking part in these innovative programs that are set up to help deal with climate change issues," Christensen said. "Not only are we doing what is best for planet Earth, but we are bringing dollars into our rural economies."

With the global climate treaty established in 1997 at Kyoto, Japan, countries decide to work together to reduce carbon emissions, but the United States opted out, citing economic reasons.

Under Kyoto, corporations and cities are required to reduce their emissions. If they do not meet the schedule on the way to their goal, they can buy carbon offsets to help them meet their emission reduction goal.

Talks have resumed for a new climate treaty in Bali, Indonesia. It will replace Kyoto, which is set to expire in 2012.

The United States is the only industrialized country in the world not to ratify the Kyoto treaty, so there are no mandatory regulations on emissions in this country. However, many voluntary cap and trade programs have started to spring up.

One of these, the Chicago Climate Exchange deals with agricultural carbon offsets, which is how the Farmers Union gets involved, Christensen said.

Pioneer ancestors plowed up the prairie, releasing the carbon stored in the soil.

The North Dakota Farmers Union is an aggregator for the Chicago Climate Exchange, which markets the program and sells enrolled farmers' and ranchers' carbon offsets on this market.

The Nebraska Farmers Union, which helped establish the first carbon sequestration advisory committee in the U.S. in order to study ag's carbon sequestration abilities, works with the North Dakota Farmers Union in Nebraska.

The Farmers Union is the largest agricultural aggregator of carbon in the United States. Since the voluntary program began, Farmers Union has written more than $8 million in checks to producers nationwide.

In Nebraska, nearly $485,000 were mailed in late July for the no-till, alfalfa and newly seeded grass program. Checks for the first pool of the rangeland management program are anticipated to be cut at the end of 2008. The next deadlines will be in spring 2009.

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Want to learn more?

Contact Graham Christensen with the Nebraska Farmers Union at 476-8815.