Carbon Sequestration

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Let’s harness the proven benefits of regenerative agriculture for a climate-safe future

Many California lawmakers understand the connection between energy use and the climate crisis. However, they are much less familiar with the vast potential for carbon sequestration in our soils. Healthy soils are a critical component of achieving the urgent goals of net-negative emissions by 2030 (drawdown of emissions already in the atmosphere greater than new greenhouse gas emissions) and increased resilience to climate-driven extremes like drought, heat, and floods.

Categories Carbon Sequestration
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This Houston nonprofit is paying coastal landowners to store CO2 in their marshes

riparian buffer zones

By Michael J. Coren & Dan Kopf Highlights Houston based nonprofit the Texas Coastal Exchange (TCX) has awarded grants to local landowners with marshlands on their property in order to prevent development on lands that help sequester carbon dioxide Jim Blackburn, the President of TCX, explains that by paying landowners for this service, they may in turn … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration
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Earth Day 2030: California celebrates reaching net-negative emissions

Golden Gate by Benjamin W.

Let’s imagine it is April 2030. In the early 2020s, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, we in California finally addressed the climate crisis at the speed and scale science demanded. Nation & World Collaborating for Speed & Scale Climate Action Today, Earth Day 2030, we celebrate the deep systemic changes we have collectively … Read more

Categories Business Network Carbon Sequestration Clean Energy Climate Justice Climate Targets Community Energy Resilience Divestment Public Health Transportation
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COVID, the California legislature, and climate policy for healthy soils

by Renata Brillinger, CalCAN Highlights The coronavirus pandemic is affecting farmworkers, food system resilience, and climate change impacts. The legislative session will be more constricted and fewer bills will be advance, but partners such as the California Climate and Agricultural Network will continue to work for healthy soils initiatives. Two bills are key: AB 1071 … Read more

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Cargill-led fund to pay U.S. farmers for carbon capture, exchange credits

Todd and Arliss Nielsen inspect their ryegrass cover crop in Wright County, Iowa. USDA photo.

by Karl Plume, Reuters Highlights Cargill Inc is paying farmers to sequester carbon in their soils and prevent fertilizer runoff, becoming the first effort to monetize environmentally friendly farming practices.  The Soil & Water Outcomes Fund, a partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association and third-party verification company Quantified Ventures, will sell the environmental credits created … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration
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A closer look at farmer relief in senate pandemic aid package

Farmers in Rockingham County, Virginia check the results of no-till farming in their fields on September 9, 2008, as part of their participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI).

from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Highlights The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by the President to aid businesses and Americans features specific provisions targeting farmers and food insecurity. Agricultural Provisions An important measure of the relief bill helps provide support for producers impacted by the coronavirus, specifically for specialty crop … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Public Health
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CCOF releases roadmap to an organic California policy report

Farmers in Rockingham County, Virginia check the results of no-till farming in their fields on September 9, 2008, as part of their participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI).

by California Certified Organic Farmers Highlights: California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) recently released a Roadmap to an Organic California policy report.  The report highlights the personal and environmental health benefits of adopting 100% organic farming practices: Benefits of organic farming include: Sequestration – organic farming removes 14 times more CO2 from the atmosphere compared to … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Public Health
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Goat herd as ecosystem reclamation tool – profile in land and management

by Gregory Horner, Tomkat Ranch Highlights In Wyoming, goats were used to restore the habitat destroyed by oil well facilities. The company, Goat Green, was hired by Chevron to graze the land after herbicides and machinery failed to help restore the land to it’s previous conditions Over 1000 goats were able to eat the weeds … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Fossil Fuels
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Diverse coalition calls on legislature to restore climate smart agriculture funding

by Jeanne Merrill, CalCAN Highlights Governor Newsom’s budget proposal includes various bonds relating to the climate, but cuts funding for healthy soils and other agricultural-based climate programs. The main critique of the proposed budget is that it doesn’t do enough to address real climate solutions and is not generous enough to the agriculture sector One … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration