Bill would give break on farm gases

WASHINGTON — A climate bill stumbling in the Senate gives dairy farmers a break on farm emissions that scientists say are a significant source of greenhouse gases.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., and John W. Warner, R-Va., appears unlikely to go far because of largely partisan divisions. But it would let farms escape greenhouse gas emission caps, which satisfies farm groups such as the National Milk Producers Federation.

Leaders at the NMPF, which represents the bargaining cooperatives to which most north country farmers belong, has said that any climate bill should not apply the emission restrictions to farms but should let them voluntarily find ways to reduce carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases as a way to offset emissions.

"We appreciate the stated intent by many lawmakers in the House and Senate that climate legislation should offer livestock agriculture promising opportunities to contribute to the solution of climate mitigation markets as voluntary offset providers," the NMPF said in congressional testimony about the bill.

"It is critical that these market opportunities remain just that — opportunities or incentives to help obtain from us the significant contributions we can make to greenhouse gas offsets," the group said.

Scientists say manure and even cows' burps are a significant source of gases that contribute to global warming. With dairy herds growing, and more manure being handled on smaller land areas, the dairy industry is looking for ways to deal with its role in climate change.

Methane, produced in abundance on livestock farms, is not the biggest contributor to global warming: That would be carbon dioxide. But methane is more potent than carbon dioxide, so even small reductions yield relatively big results.

Every ton of methane reduction is equal to 21 tons of carbon dioxide, based on its potency as a greenhouse gas, the NMPF reported.

The NMPF has cited methods of recapturing those gases and using them for other purposes — such as electric production — as a solution. But the market conditions for those experiments are generally not favorable, the group told Congress.

In one case, a farmer in Michigan with 3,000 cows is selling energy and is considering selling carbon credits as well, the NMPF said in its testimony. Extra water from the farm is used for irrigation or cleaning barns, and the farm recently bought a manure digester for $4 million, half of which came from the state's Public Service Commission.

"This is not cheap technology," the NMPF said.

The Michigan farmer sells electricity to a willing utility company, but connecting to the grid is a major cost of production. Unless a state requires utility companies to buy the electricity or provides enough subsidies to make the effort worthwhile, farm energy projects will remain small and scattered, the NMPF predicted.

Even the use of manure on fields helps reduce greenhouse gases, the NMPF said, because it replaces fertilizer that's produced in factories that generate carbon dioxide and transported in trucks or trains that also contribute to pollution related to global warming.

"Our industry can provide great assistance as environmental service providers and we ask that you keep in mind some of these opportunities as you set policy on this issue," the NMPF said in its testimony.

The climate bill appears unlikely today to gain the 60 votes needed to stop debate. It would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two thirds by 2050. Republicans, who argue that the measure will only make gasoline more expensive, have thrown up roadblocks, including a marathon reading of the entire bill on the Senate floor Wednesday night.