Ag Policy Blog
Chris Clayton DTN Ag Policy Editor

Tuesday 08/18/09
AFBF Joins Oil Group Fighting Climate Bill

The American Farm Bureau and eight state affiliates are taking part in petroleum-industry effort to build and coordinate resistance to the climate bill.

Energy Citizens launched a website on Tuesday and began holding the first rally against the climate legislation Tuesday in Houston. Rallies in as many as 20 states will be held in as many as 22 states in the coming weeks. The group is emphasizing that the climate legislation would raise fuel prices and cost jobs.

Earlier this month, Greenpeace obtained a letter from American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard that laid out how the campaign would be organized. "The objective of these rallies is to put a human face on the impacts of unsound energy policy and to aim a loud message at those states' U.S. senators to avoid the mistakes embodied in the House climate bill and the Obama administration's tax increases on our industry," Gerard wrote to other API members.

Gerard went on to explain that several industries, including agricultural interests, were collaborating to develop the events. The letter explained that companies involved should not worry about logistics in putting together the events.

"API will provide the up-front resources to ensure logistical issues do not become a problem. This includes contracting with a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups," Gerard stated.

The letter asked each company to provide individual coordinators for rallies and ensure there is strong employee participation at each event.

www.energycitizens.org

Agricultural groups officially signed on to the Energy Citizen campaign include: Agribusiness Council of Indiana, American Farm Bureau Federation, Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers, Dairy Producers of New Mexico, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Dealers Association

State farm bureau associations include Indiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

I can be found on Twitter at chrisclaytonDTN.

Posted at 9:42AM CDT 08/18/09 by Chris Clayton
Comments (2)
I was reading Dr. David Morris, with the Institute for Local Self Reliance and this point of view makes all the sense in the world. Money Quote. "Farmers have been slow to recognize this opportunity. In fact, U.S. agricultural organizations allied themselves with the coal and oil industries to attack the Kyoto treaty. Such an alliance is reasonable if farmers view themselves simply as consumers of fossil fuels. If they view their crops as competitors to fossil fuels, however, opposing Kyoto makes no sense. They should enthusiastically embrace treaties to reduce global warming because these treaties invariably impose penalties on the dead carbon contained in coal and crude oil, while offering rewards for the living carbon contained in crops and trees." There's an old saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. To which I would add: Fool me four times, I'm an idiot. http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_once_and_future_carbohydrate_economy Wonder why Farm Burearu and all the other so called Ag supporters don't see this? Folks wake up "Big Business" is bankrupting rural America and they certainly don't want the system to change.
Posted by Harold Price at 7:47AM CDT 08/19/09
Ive installed on my farm the foundation of a "solar farm", 9kw PV system which is earning $275 per MWh from the sale of solar renewable energy certificates on top of displacing the electricity I use. If the carbon trade is started I will be able to expand my "solar farm" and have a "new crop" to sell. Farm Bureau is bought off by corporations that have no interest in the farmer, only corporate profits! Renewable energy is so tied into rural living that it is difficult to believe that anyone with half a brain could see the benefits of environmental policies that will send oppertunities our way!? Fossil fuels will not last forever and if there is any replacement it is to be found just where we are farming!
Posted by Jay Mcginnis at 7:37AM CDT 08/21/09
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