Some key specifics: Biofuel groups are feeling better after seeing the president’s plan mention “very low carbon, new generation renewable fuels” to help achieve rapid emission reductions in both the auto fleet and aviation. USDA also announced $18.4 million for 20 states to increase sales of higher biofuel blend volumes. The Senate Agriculture Committee quickly advanced on a voice vote Thursday the Growing Climate Solutions Act, a bill that will create a certification program at USDA to set standards and help farmers qualify for a private carbon-market program. While touting plans to increase Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment by 4 million acres, USDA leaders are also defending against criticisms a Biden plan called 30 x 30 conserving 30% of land and water by 2030. Republicans are increasingly raising complaints about federal land expansion, but U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack insisted the plan is not “a land grab.”
Statement by Marcia DeLonge, Research Director, Food and Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists Published Apr 22, 2021
WASHINGTON (April 22, 2021) Legislation introduced in the U.S. House and Senate today provides critically needed measures to ensure that U.S. farmers and their communities can adapt and thrive in the face of a changing climate. The Agriculture Resilience Act, introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and 16 House co-sponsors, would set a national goal of achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture by 2040 and help farmers deal with damaging climate impacts they are already experiencing. Through dramatically increased investments in research and science-based initiatives, the bill would boost the health of long neglected farm soils improving their ability to buffer against extreme weather, keep drinking water clean and capture carbon.
Pingree, Heinrich to reintroduce Ag Resilience Act on Earth Day thefencepost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thefencepost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Earth Day 2021
Chellie Pingree: ‘Voters gave us a mandate to fight for our planet’s future using data and science’
U.S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
In the early 1970s, as a student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, I celebrated one of the first Earth Days. Along with my classmates, we were passionate about the world around us and committed to taking care of our planet. We believed in making sure we had clean air and clean water, renewable energy, and a more sustainable food system.
On Earth Day 2021, I’m thinking back to how excited we were to take better care of our environment. The unfortunate truth is that, more than 50 years later, we’ve made progress but still have so much work to do to protect our planet. If we don’t fundamentally change the way we live our daily lives now, the health and economic opportunities for our children and our grandchildren will be seriously impacted. For that very reason, I’ve made climate c