By Ellie Cohen, The Climate Center, and Torri Estrada, Carbon Cycle Institute This opinion piece was originally published on February 11, 2021 in CalMatters. California is in the early stages of a severe multi-decadal drought, exacerbated by the climate crisis. As Dan Walters pointed out in his recent op ed, we must move quickly to prepare for water shortages and … 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
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
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.
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
by Ken Kimmel, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists Highlights Current situation: Federal government response to COVID-19: In Washington DC a bi-partisan effort to help the country cope with COVID-19 is underway. So far, one immediate emergency bill appropriated approximately $8 billion designed to treat and prevent the virus. A second bill has also … Read more
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
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
by CalCAN Highlights The Agriculture Resilience Act (H.R. 5861) addresses the role of agriculture in combating climate change with a comprehensive suite of practical, science-based, farmer-driven policy solutions The bill sets out a national goal for the agricultural sector of net-zero emissions by no later than 2040, as well as strategies to achieve it by … Read more
