by Karen Ross and Michael Delbar, Cal Matters Highlights New analysis from UC Berkeley found that 300,000 acres of protected rangeland can provide up to $1.4 billion a year in ecosystem benefits and that every dollar spent to protect working rangeland returned $3.43 on the investment in ecosystem benefits Managed grazing can help sequester carbon … Read more
by Fiona Harvey, Grist Highlights According to a new study, restoration of Earth’s most degraded areas along with protections for areas still in good condition would help store an amount of carbon equivalent to half of all human-related greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial revolution Restoration and protection would prevent 70% of anticipated species extinctions … Read more
by Shannon Osaka, Grist Highlights Preventing forest destruction, ending wildlife trading, and surveillance measures on emerging diseases before they spread are the tactics scientists are hoping will prevent the next pandemic, as published in the nature journal Science Forest destruction, particularly in tropical areas, causes animals to venture into human-populated areas in search of a … Read more
from CalCAN Highlights Changing agricultural practices can allow soils to become regenerative, which can help California reach negative emissions Regenerative Agriculture helps farmers sequester carbon from the atmosphere and bury it deep below ground, directly helping to slow the climate crisis Cap and Trade funds in California help to financially support regenerative ag programs within … Read more
from Tropical Agriculture Association Highlights A group of scientists from the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation rebuked a recent report published by the World Resources Institute that claimed regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration provided little to no benefits for climate change mitigation The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation states that regenerative agriculture creates healthy soils and reduces carbon dioxide … Read more
by Nicole Pollock, Inside Climate News Highlights Due to a decrease in revenue from California’s cap and trade program, many agriculture-based climate programs may receive funding cuts or no funding at all The cap and trade program typically makes $600 million and $800 million from major polluters in the state through allowance auctions, but due … Read more
by Jessica Craig, NPR Highlights Rattan Lal, professor and director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, has been recently named the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for his research on healthy soils. Lal has been the champion of farming techniques that keep and add nutrients in the soil and his … Read more
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
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
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
