As described in the short summary of the American Power Act:

Additionally, the bill supports the Rural Energy for America Program, which has already reduced costs and created thousands of new clean energy jobs across rural America.

To help spur the development and deployment of clean energy technologies economy wide, the American Power Act will include REAP at a level nearly three times the FY2010 funding of $99.34 million. The American Power Act seeks to jumpstart our transition to a clean energy economy, creating jobs and investment nation-wide and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.  The bill would also provide direct support to energy consumers and incentivize energy efficiency and renewable energy development.

Though the REAP program was included in the official bill summaries, it was inadvertently omitted from the discussion draft and will be included in later revisions.

This Congress has pledged to pass either a climate or a clean energy bill. REAP serves the goals of either type of bill:

• REAP cuts carbon pollution with energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment through rural economic development.
• REAP helps energy independence and energy security by reducing energy waste with energy efficiency and increasing distributed – and resilient – energy systems.

September 10, 2009 – A diverse coalition of energy, agricultural and environmental groups called on the Senate Agriculture Committee to improve clean energy legislation by investing the revenue from carbon pollution allowances into programs that stimulate low carbon agriculture-based energy.

Low carbon ag-energy solutions include both energy efficiency improvements for farms and ranches and renewable energy projects such as wind turbines, solar panels, biomass (including biomass combined heat and power) and geothermal heating and cooling systems. Energy efficiency saves money for farmers, ranchers and foresters and reduces global warming pollution very quickly. All of these modern technologies reduce carbon pollution and are well-suited for agricultural applications.

The proposal would provide incentives without increasing taxes. Instead, the proposal uses proceeds from the sale of carbon pollution allowances and invests that money into initiatives that reduce carbon pollution and create new savings and income for rural America. The allowance trading system is part of a market-based system that can reduce global warming pollution at the lowest cost.

“American agriculture can and should lead the way to drastic carbon reductions, but we need policies like these to jumpstart the pace of clean energy implementation,” said Andy Olsen, Senior Policy Advocate for the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC).

“Investing allowances to stimulate clean energy development is a textbook example of sound policy to cut carbon pollution and should be part of any agriculture package,” said Kerri Johannsen, Policy Advocate for ELPC.

“Agriculture can be a net winner in the climate bill,” added Olsen. “Expanding low carbon ag-energy initiatives is good for agriculture, good for rural economic development and good for fighting climate change.”

You can find the letter, including all the supporting groups, here.  See also the ELPC fact sheet that discusses why these programs are a great fit in the climate bill and how they can benefit farmers, ranchers and forest owners across the country.

Dr. Michael Roberts, one of the lead authors of the study, said, “While crop yields depend on a variety of factors, extreme heat is the best predictor of yields.”

Temperatures higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit for corn, 86 degrees for soy, and 89 degrees for cotton cause damage to crops, reducing yields.   By the end of this century, temperatures are predicted to rise by as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit due to global warming, according to a recent US Global Change Research Program report (PDF format).

Risks of Inaction

Yield losses of up to 80% for corn, cotton and soy will clearly have devastating effects on American farmers. Additionally, these yield losses will be disastrous for US and global food security.  Though much of the focus has been on the costs and impacts of federal policy, this study shows that the cost of doing nothing and putting farmers and the world food supply at grave risk is the most critical calculation.

According to the study, “The United States produces 41% of the world’s corn and 38% of the world’s soybeans. These crops comprise two of the four largest sources of caloric energy produced and are thus critical for world food supply.”

For More Information

For more information on the Columbia University and North Carolina State University study, go here.

For more information on the effects of climate change on agriculture, go here.

The full report can be found here; the section on agricultural impacts can be found here. Key findings of the report include:

• Human-caused changes in US climate are already taking place and are expected to increase (p. 27)
• Climate change puts increasing stress on water resources (p. 41)
• Crop and livestock production will face greater challenges due to climate change (p. 71)
• Actions taken now to mitigate and adapt to changing climate can reduce future impacts (p. 11)

Agriculture and Climate Change

The report illustrates significant effects (and costs) from global warming on crops and livestock due to increased pests and weeds, water stress, diseases, and weather extremes such as longer dry periods and heavy downpours.

Agriculture and Water Resources

• NOAA expects climate change to make dry areas drier and wet areas wetter, putting added stress on agricultural and grazing systems across the country.
• Dry periods will be longer, making droughts more intense, and precipitation will be heavier, increasing risks of flooding.

Crop Production

• Though some crops (and especially weeds) respond positively to low increases in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration, the report explains that moderate to intense warming can harm crop growth and yield.
• Research shows that moderate warming decreases yields of crops grown in all regions of the U.S., including corn, wheat, sorghum, beans, rice, cotton and peanuts, and higher temperatures can affect crops’ ability to reproduce even in well-watered conditions.
• Increased temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations also favor weeds and insect pests. Warming temperatures may result in the northern migration of invasive weeds which have been confined due to low winter temperatures.

Livestock Production

• Climate change will likely cause increased heat stress in livestock, which can make animals more susceptible to disease and parasites or kill them outright.
• Forage quality decreases with higher carbon dioxide concentrations, making it more difficult to feed livestock from pastures and rangelands.

Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation: Not cheap

The costs to agriculture of adapting to climate change are often ignored.  For example, weed suppression will increase costs for herbicides and more frequent spraying.  Currently, these costs vary across regions and are higher where it is hotter. New crop varieties can be designed for tolerance to drought and heat or a longer growing season, but developing these new varieties and making changes to farming operations to use them may be substantial.

Where development of new varieties is not possible, it maybe necessary to grow different types of crops entirely which means starting from scratch in terms of equipment, storage and infrastructure – a very expensive prospect.

For more information

• Report Home page:  Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
  • Direct link to the report’s Agriculture chapter (PDF format)
• US Global Change Research Program web site

Report Resources

Download report (PDF)

CHICAGO, IL – A new study shows that farm-based renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in the U.S. Farm Bill could reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 57 million metric tons a year – the equivalent of eliminating the pollution from over 11 million cars.

The study, “Mitigating Global Warming through the Farm Bill,” is the first to examine the potential greenhouse gas savings of the Farm Bill Energy Title. The study assumes funding of at least $1 billion a year, or $5 billion over the five-year life of the legislation, which is less than 2% of the total Farm Bill Budget. The programs in the Energy Title encourage development of farm-based and rural renewable power generation, biofuels facilities, and energy efficiency projects that provide low-carbon energy alternatives.

“Now is the time for Congress to fight global warming through innovative farm policy,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), which conducted the study. “In a time of rising concern over the causes and consequences of global warming, these programs can put our nation on the right track.”

The 2002 Farm Bill, now up for re-authorization in Congress, included a modestly-funded Energy Title for the first time, helping farmers and rural businesses develop profitable clean energy sources such as wind power, solar energy, energy efficiency, and biofuels. These highly successful programs can fight global warming, spur economic development in rural communities, and improve our national energy security.

“This study shows how robust clean energy programs in the Farm Bill can counter global warming while helping farm families and rural communities,” said Charles Kubert, Senior Environmental Business Specialist at ELPC and lead researcher on the study. “This study will crystallize some of the choices Congress is making in the Farm Bill deliberations.”

“Global warming is an increasingly urgent problem, and this Farm Bill will shape our agricultural policy for the next five years and beyond. Let’s hope Americans look back later and are grateful for the foresight of this Congress,” said John Moore, Senior Attorney at ELPC.

“The 2007 Farm Bill could lay the foundation for the future of agriculture in this country, encouraging sustainable farming practices while building up rural communities. It’s a win-win-win for the environment, rural America, and energy policy. Congress needs to make renewable energy and energy efficiency priorities. Let’s not miss this opportunity,” concluded Learner.

According to the ELPC report, greenhouse gas reductions will come from the following places in the Energy Title:

• Farm-Based Power – wind/solar/biogas/biofuels/energy efficiency 
• Commercializing new energy crops 
• Upgrading power plants to use energy crops instead of fossil fuels 
• Advanced clean fuels production 
• Energy technical assistance (saving energy and investing in clean energy)

The Farm Bill Energy Title drives investment primarily in the following technologies, which form the basis of the study’s analysis and conclusions:

• Wind power. A one megawatt (MW) wind turbine, which generates no greenhouse gas pollution, can displace approximately 1,600 metric tons of CO2 each year. 
• Anaerobic Digesters. An average anaerobic digester that processes livestock manure waste can capture methane and generate up to 2,900 megawatt-hours of electricity, thereby potentially displacing about 4,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually. 
• Corn Ethanol. Corn and grain-derived ethanol has the potential to reduce relative greenhouse gas emissions by 18% to 29% compared with gasoline. 
• Cellulosic Ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol has the potential to displace 85-90% of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with gasoline.
• Biodiesel. Biodiesel has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 80% compared with petroleum diesel fuel. 
• Energy Efficiency. Improving on-farm and rural business energy efficiency can avoid carbon pollution by reducing use of diesel fuel in farm equipment and by reducing electricity, natural gas and propane use.
• Biomass and Geothermal. These systems generate thermal energy for heating and cooling purposes, displacing greenhouse gases primarily from natural-gas fired systems. 
• Solar technologies. The sun generates electric power and thermal energy without pollution.

Many farm energy, and environmental groups support a robust, well-funded energy title.

The study, entitled “Mitigating Global Warming Through the Farm Bill: Measuring the Potential Greenhouse Gas Savings of the Farm Bill’s Energy Title Programs,” is available at www.farmenergy.org.

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