Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Twenty Governors Now Oppose EPA Climate Efforts

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Twenty Governors Now Oppose EPA Climate Efforts
USAgNet - 03/17/2010

Led by Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.), twenty governors, including Puerto Rico and Guam, signed onto a letter supporting Congressional actions to halt the EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases. The governors have now joined a growing group of opponents to the EPA's actions, which includes House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), hundreds of agricultural organizations, and a multitude of groups representing businesses and other interests.

Also last week, during a speech to the National Farmers Union 2010 convention, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed the potential benefits for U.S. farmers and ranchers of a legislative solution to climate change. According to a USDA release, Secretary Vilsack remarked that USDA is committed to helping Congress design and implement a carbon offsets market that will provide significant income opportunities to America's farmers and ranchers.

USDA also released an informational memorandum by Chief Economist Joe Glauber providing an update on the ongoing economic analysis regarding the potential impact on agriculture from climate change legislation.