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Climate Change, Energy and your farm
Not settling the debate, evolving the discussion
Whether or not you agree with the climate change, decision-makers are under pressure to do something about it. As the director of USDA's Global Change Program Office has bluntly said, "At the policy level, the question is not whether climate change is occurring. The debate is over what to do about it." That's why it's imperative for you and other farmers to be at the table for discussions on exactly what may be done and how those policies impact your farm, because if you're not there, someone else will be talking for you.
Keep in mind that as the climate change discussion evolves it often turns to energy production and consumption because it's assumed that less greenhouse gases will be emitted with a change in energy production (e.g., more solar or nuclear energy) and consumption (e.g., more fuel efficient cars and ethanol use.) So in the future, all sectors of U.S. economic life, including agriculture, will be affected by policies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These policies or mandates might be labeled as energy, fuel efficiency, truck idling, transportation infrastructure, renaissance zones, farmland preservation, etc; and very well may be driven by greenhouse gas issues.
The discussion becomes more complicated as it grows. This section contains some tools that may be helpful in discussions on the latest in energy and climate change issues and how policy changes might affect you and your farm. The information provided is not to settle the debate on man-made climate change, but rather to provide information on how policies developed around climate change and energy will impact our members.
