Greedy Farmers Battle Climate Bill That Benefits Them

How else to explain them being OK with the exploding population?

(NEWSER) - Opponents of cap-and-trade legislation must believe that a massive plague will wipe out 2.5 billion people sometime between now and 2050. Otherwise, their stance makes no sense, writes Thomas Friedman of the New York Times . Even if you don’t believe climate change is real—and Friedman does—you can’t deny that the world is getting more crowded. According to a 2006 UN report, the population will rise 2.5 billion by 2050. More»

'Pathetic' Waxman-Markey at least puts a price on carbon: Friedman

(NEWSER) - Waxman-Markey is a "pathetic" and "appalling" bill that totally fails to respond to the urgency of climate change—and it should be passed by the Senate and signed into law straight away, writes Thomas Friedman. For the New York Times columnist, the flawed legislation has one great virtue: it finally puts a price on carbon emissions, and "will usher in a new mind-set among consumers, investors, farmers, innovators and entrepreneurs that in time will make a big difference." More»

Methane production drops after farms adopt new feed

(NEWSER) - Cow belches have been called a bigger environmental threat than cars and trucks—and now dairy groups are taking steps to keep dangerous burps to a minimum, the New York Times reports. One Vermont farmer has seen his cows’ methane emissions drop 18% after boosting the alfalfa and flaxseed in their feed, while methane has plummeted some 30% in France, where industrial farms are using alternative feed. More»

Activist argues for multipronged strategy on climate change

(NEWSER) - The US must overhaul its environmental strategy, alternative-energy advocate Denis Hayes writes in Yale Environment 360, and here's how:

• Cap carbon at its source—coal mines, oil fields, pipelines—not where it leaves the atmosphere.
• Promote renewable energy and buy photovoltaic devices in bulk to drive prices down.

Fears that methane curb could ruin farms

(NEWSER) - In its quest to be the first carbon-neutral country, New Zealand is cracking down on methane emissions--and that means regulating the gas released by livestock, the Los Angeles Times reports. Farmers are worried a government proposal to fine them if their livestock exceed greenhouse-gas limits could leave many bankrupt—a particular problem as the world faces a food crisis. More»