Invest in
Renewable Energy with Environmental Benefits
environmentaldefense fund (EDF)
Fresh Idea #3 (February 27, 2007)
America’s farmers, ranchers, and family foresters could help solve many
of our environmental challenges by increasing their production of
renewable energy.
Harvesting energy from the sun, wind and other renewable sources
would also help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy,
create jobs in rural communities, and boost the profitability of our
farms.
More and more American consumers want to buy fuels that reduce our
dependence on oil and reduce the threat of climate change. Farmers are
large consumers of energy and also want to help America meet our energy
challenges. Renewal of farm and food policies should expand programs
that boost wind, solar and other renewable energy production on farms,
ranches and forest lands and expand programs that provide grants and
loan guarantees to farmer-owned businesses developing fuels from crop
waste, grasses and other alternative feed stocks. Turning 400 million
tons of crop waste into ethanol would provide 35 billion gallons of
fuel—or two thirds of the petroleum we now import from the Middle
East—and would help meet our environmental challenges as well.
The creation of a national renewable fuel standard has unleashed
unprecedented private investment in ethanol, so future USDA energy
investments should be focused on other equally promising sources of
renewable energy. Because some sources of renewable energy produce more
environmental benefits, policymakers should link USDA’s renewable
energy investments to environmental goals. In particular, policymakers
should direct USDA to subject energy proposals to an environmental
index to encourage the development of energy systems that provide
significant environmental gains. For example, capturing and burning
methane from animal waste to generate electricity would not only
provide revenue for farmers but would also reduce emissions of a gas
that is a potent contributor to climate change.
Americans overwhelmingly support an increasing role for renewable
energy produced at home. Renewable energy reduces our dependence on
foreign sources of energy and helps provide steady supplies of energy
at stable prices. In fact, 20 states already require their power
companies to provide some energy from solar, wind, bio-fuels and other
renewable sources of energy that farmers, ranchers and forest land
owners can easily provide. Expanding the production of energy on farms
and ranches would also reduce our trade deficit and promote economic
growth in rural America.
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