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Global Climate Change
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sequestering Carbon
Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change
U.S. Policy and Climate Change
Climate Change and Agriculture
Market-Based Programs & Trading
1605(b) Voluntary Reporting Registry
Carbon Management Reporting Tool: COMET-VR
Incentive Programs and Assistance for Producers
Climate Change and Effects on Ecosystems
Resources and Publications
In the News
Meetings
The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change
Greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor (H2O) are a critical part of
our climate system. These gases are effective in trapping heat at
the earth’s surface. Without GHGs, most of the currently cultivated
regions of the earth would be too cold for agricultural
production. However, human activity is contributing to increases in GHG concentrations in
the atmosphere and the increases are causing potentially detrimental changes in temperature
and other aspects of climate. Global annual-mean surface temperature has
shown a rapid and widespread increase of 1.4º F (0.7ºC) since the early 20th century
with about 0.9º F of that increase occurring since 1978. The National Academy
of Sciences has produced a document that summarizes these findings in a clear and
an understandable manner (1). While uncertainties remain in our
understanding of climate science, we know enough to act now as
science justifies, to slow and eventually stabilize GHG increases. Although agricultural sources account for
only 7 percent of the total GHG emissions in the USA, many sources can be reduced
with minimal economic impact.
Producers have opportunities to employ practices that save money and time,
and take advantage of market forces that may lead to new commodities such as, carbon,
bioenergy crops, and GHG emissions reductions.
What is Greenhouse Gas Intensity?
Greenhouse gas intensity is the ratio of greenhouse gas
emissions to economic output. The United States has committed to reducing the greenhouse
gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent by 2012. This initiative is designed to slow greenhouse gas emissions. [See
White House Climate Change Policy and
Energy for America’s
Future].
Meeting the U.S. goal will lower emissions from an estimated
183 metric tons per million dollars of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002, to
151 metric tons per million dollars of GDP by 2012. The policy focuses on
reducing emissions through technology improvements and dissemination, improving
the efficiency of energy use, voluntary programs with industry, and shifts to
cleaner fuels. The intensity-based approach promotes opportunities (e.g.
voluntary programs and partnerships) to conserve fossil fuel, recover methane,
and sequester carbon. These programs encourage the adoption of existing
technologies, energy efficiency improvements, and renewable resources to reduce
emissions cost-effectively.
References
(1)
Understanding and responding to climate change:
Highlights of National Academies Reports. October, 2005. The National Academy of
Sciences.
(2) IPCC Working Group 1
Contribution to the 4th Assessment Report. Climate Change 2007: The Physical
Science Basis
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U.S. Policy and Climate Change
The US Global Research Change Act was enacted by Congress in 1990 to enhance
the understanding of, and response to, global climate change and has established a
comprehensive policy to address climate change. This policy has three
basic objectives:
- Slowing the growth of emissions
- Strengthening science, technology, and
institutions
- Enhancing international cooperation in
pursuit of these goals
The Federal government is implementing this policy through
voluntary and incentive-based programs and has established major government-wide
programs to advance climate technologies and improve climate science. The US
science and technology management structure for this policy is chaired by the
Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy with participation from 12
other Departments and Agencies including USDA.
The Climate Change Technology Program (CCTP)
to accelerate the development and deployment of key technologies and the
Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), a research
initiative to focus on key remaining gaps in climate change science were
multi-agency efforts established in 2002. The objectives of these programs
are to investigate natural and human-induced changes in the
Earth's global environmental system; to monitor, understand, and predict global
change; and to provide a sound scientific basis for national and international
decision-making. NRCS participates in these programs.
As part of the climate
change strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Department of Energy (DOE), announced that USDA would develop accounting
guidelines for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration for the
DOE Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reporting Registry authorized under section 1605(b)
of the 1992 Energy Policy Act. In April 2006, the DOE announced the revised
guidelines for this registry entitled the
Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, that enables
farmers and land owners to estimate, report, and register GHG reductions and
carbon sequestration.
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Climate Change and Agriculture
Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Production
Climate change and climate variability present a challenge to
ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable land management. Drought,
floods, and temperature fluctuations due to climate change can directly affect agricultural operations
through damage to crops and livestock. Indirect effects of climate change
include higher soil erosion rates, more invasive
species, and changes in soil and vegetative relationships. The consequences of
global warming will not be spread evenly across the planet and the challenges of
coping with changes will be regionally unique. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is focusing global climate change efforts
in several areas: 1) quantifying the effects of conservation practices on
greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration; 2) refining incentives in conservation programs
to address the effects of climate change on agriculture; 3) developing and encouraging
the use of conservation practices and systems that reduce GHG emissions; and 4)
enhance opportunities to increase farm profitability on the
emerging voluntary emissions trading markets.
Agricultural Activities That Mitigate the Impact of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
Agricultural and forestry activities can contribute to the reduction in atmospheric buildup of GHGs in three important ways:
sequestration, emissions reductions, and fossil fuel substitution.
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Sequestration: Carbon dioxide (CO2) removed from the atmosphere can be
stored in soils, biomass, and harvested products, and protected or preserved to
avoid CO2 release back to the atmosphere. These become carbon
stores or carbon sinks.
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Emissions reductions: Agricultural CH4 and N2O emissions
can be reduced through effective manure and feed management and efficient
fertilizer application. CO2 emissions can be reduced by adopting more fuel
efficient technologies and practices.
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Fossil fuel substitution: Using biofuels produced in the
agricultural sector instead of fossil fuels can help lower GHG
concentrations.
By adopting these practices, producers can save money and time while enhancing and improving the
environment around them, a common goal for many farmers and ranchers as well as
their community partners.
Market-Based Programs and Trading
The USDA plans to broaden the use of private-sector markets for environmental
goods and services through emerging voluntary market mechanisms. Ecosystem
services are part of the focus of market-oriented approaches proposed for a
component of the Conservation Title in the 2007 Farm Bill. The goal of
market-based conservation is to take conservation beyond the farm, ranch, and
forest and develop a system that mainstreams environmental credit trading. A
USDA policy memorandum, USDA
Roles in Market-Based Environmental Stewardship and
Departmental
Regulation established a role for agriculture and forestry in providing
environmental offsets and enhancements and developing accounting practices and
procedures for quantifying environmental goods and services in advance of the
2007 Farm Bill.
The USDA has instituted new standards and targeted specific portions of
incentive programs toward an ecosystem market place by aligning its conservation
programs with other Federal programs aimed at reducing non-point source
pollution, preservation of wildlife habitat, enhancing carbon sequestration in
soils, and reducing GHG emissions. The USDA-NRCS and the Department of Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service and Associated Agencies recently signed a partnership
agreement to explore and facilitate
habitat credit
trading markets for conservation benefits of listed endangered, and other
at-risk species. NRCS has also partnered with EPA to collaborate on efforts to
establish a
water quality credit trading market and coordinate related programs. A pilot
program in water quality credit trading is being developed for the
Chesapeake Bay Basin in
support of this collaboration. These activities and partnerships are all
expected to stimulate and facilitate other actions including participation in
carbon or bundled environmental benefits markets.
USDA is sponsoring improved monitoring and reporting guidelines for voluntary
initiatives. The USDA agencies and their cooperators are developing tools to
estimate the amount of carbon stored and GHG emissions reduced at the field and
producer level. COMET-VR is a
web-based, interactive decision support tool that includes the effects of
land-management changes and is authorized for voluntary GHG reporting under
section 1605(b) of the 1992 Energy Policy Act. It is a cooperative effort
between NRCS and Colorado State University. Tools like COMET-VR make it easier
for producers to estimate carbon storage and GHG emissions reductions for their
entire holdings. The market for carbon credits trading in the form of carbon
emissions reduction is in its formative stages and agricultural producers stand
to benefit. NRCS has also instituted an Environmental Credit Trading Information
Series to answer basic questions in environmental trading. The first document in
the series discusses
Carbon Credit
Trading on Rangeland.
USDA policy goals in this section are linked to other major ongoing Presidential
initiatives and activities including voluntary greenhouse gas reporting under
section 1605(b) of the
1992 Energy Policy Act, the Clear
Skies legislation including the EPA Clean
Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), the Healthy Forest Initiatives in 2002, the
National Environmental Policy Act Task
Force (NEPA) in 2003, and the
White Waters to Blue
Water Initiative under the Oceans Act of 2000.
Several organizations have begun to offer market opportunities for
agricultural GHG emission reductions and carbon sequestered as commodities such
as the Chicago Climate Exchange
and The Climate Trust.
1605(b) Voluntary Reporting
Registry
Section 1605(b) of the energy Policy Act established a voluntary reporting
program for GHG emissions and reductions. The initial guidelines were issued in
1994. Over 200 utilities, industries, institutions, and other entities now
report annually.
USDA has worked closely with the Department of Energy (DOE)
in developing new accounting rules and guidelines for voluntary reporting of
greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks for agriculture and forestry. NRCS,
through the USDA Office of Global Change helped finalized the agricultural portion of the DOE
Voluntary
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting Registry section 1605(b) in 2006 as a means to
meet the President’s goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity.
EIA/DOE provides the forms and instructions for Registry
filing.
In April, 2006, when revised guidelines for voluntarily reporting greenhouse gases
were announced, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said, "These
guidelines represent an important milestone in the effort to encourage new
technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without impairing economic
growth. By participating in this program, our farmers and ranchers have a unique
opportunity to be part of the solution to greenhouse gas emissions." The
revised guidelines include "state-of-the-science" guidance and tools for
estimating emissions from agricultural, forestry, and conservation activities.
The 1605(b) registry allows the user voluntarily to report carbon
sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions annually. Producers enter
location information, carbon storage, fertilizer usage, emissions information,
and fuel usage. Actions that producers might consider reporting include
conservation tillage, installing waste digesters, improving nutrient management
and managing forest land.
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Carbon Management
Reporting Tool: COMET-VR
The Carbon Management Online Tool for Voluntary Reporting (COMET-VR) is a decision support tool
developed jointly by the NRCS and Colorado State University for
calculating soil carbon stored or sequestered by changing land management practices.
Producers enter location information, past, present, and planned land management
practices and obtain an estimate of the change in carbon sequestered. This tool is also sanctioned for reporting
carbon sequestration in the DOE 1605(b) Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reporting Registry. In the future, interested producers using COMET-VR will be able to transfer
information electronically to the 1605(b) electronic registry forms.
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Incentive Programs and Assistance for Producers
Incentives and Assistance in NRCS
The USDA has instituted new standards targeting specific
portions of incentive programs that encourage carbon sequestration and
greenhouse gas (GHG)
emission reductions. Some practices that decrease GHG emissions or sequester
carbon may require a capital investment or increase farm-operating costs. The
USDA is providing incentives and supporting voluntary actions by private
landowners in targeting GHG and carbon sequestration through a portfolio
of beneficial conservation programs.
NRCS Conservation
Practices and Systems that Save Money and Benefit the Environment
Agricultural and forestry
production systems offer a wide variety of opportunities to increase carbon
sequestration (carbon storage) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many
conservation practices mitigate the negative effects attributed to climate
change while providing many other benefits and enhancements to the producer and
the environment. Conservation practices such as no-till have the potential to
save an estimated 217 million
gallons of fuel and as much as $480 million annually while increasing the carbon
stored in soils and improving soil quality.
NRCS Program |
Purpose |
Effects on GHGs |
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) |
Provides assistance to landusers, communities, state and local
governments, and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing
conservation systems. |
Provide technical assistance to promote activities that will increase
carbon sequestration and increase energy efficiency. |
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) |
A voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers that promotes
agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible national
goals. EQIP offers financial and technical help to assist eligible
participants install or implement structural and management practices on
eligible agricultural land. EQIP offers contracts that provide incentive
payments and cost-shares to implement conservation practices. Persons who
are engaged in livestock or agricultural production on eligible land may
participate in the EQIP program. EQIP activities are carried out according
to an environmental quality incentives program plan of operations developed
in conjunction with the producer that identifies the appropriate
conservation practice or practices to address the resource concerns. The
practices are subject to NRCS technical standards adapted for local
conditions. The local conservation district approves the plan. |
National priorities have been recently revised to include energy
conservation.
Examples of EQIP-funded conservation activities include:
Crop Residue Management - Promotes no-till, which is a conservation practice
that leaves the crop residue undisturbed from harvest through planting
except for narrow strips that cause minimal soil disturbance. No-till
reduces greenhouse gases because it requires less fuel and sequesters carbon
in the soil.
Nutrient Management - involves proper timing and placement of the right
amounts of nutrients and soil amendments for adequate soil fertility and to
minimize potential environmental degradation, particularly of water quality.
Also entails the use of anaerobic digesters, such as covered lagoons and
complete mix digesters, coupled with electricity generation from methane.
Methane emissions -> carbon dioxide emissions = less harmful greenhouse gas
emissions.
Irrigation Water Management – energy saving and less carbon dioxide
emissions (many irrigation systems use diesel).
Precision Agriculture - By reducing overlap in fertilizer and pesticide
applications on the 250 million acres of cropland used to produce major
crops, petroleum-based fertilizer and pesticide costs could be reduced up to
$1 billion annually.
Pesticide Management - Pesticide production depends heavily on energy
resources, less pesticide use = less energy used to produce pesticides.
Prescribed Grazing Systems - Well-managed grazing systems improve the health
and vigor of plants, enhance the quality and quantity of water, and reduce
accelerated soil erosion and improve soil condition on the land. As a
result, they can enhance the carbon storage in soil.
Windbreaks and Shelterbelts – can entail tree planting, which provides
carbon sequestration and energy savings.
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Conservation
Innovation Grants (CIG) |
A voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption
of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging
Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in
conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality
Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal
governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. |
Better land management – carbon sequestration |
Conservation Security Program (CSP) |
Voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to
promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant
and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private
working lands. Working lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land,
improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land that is an
incidental part of an agriculture operation. The program is available in all
50 States, the Caribbean Area and the Pacific Basin area. The program
provides equitable access to benefits to all producers, regardless of size
of operation, crops produced, or geographic location. |
Encourages farmers and ranchers to implement new methods to recycle
waste lubricants in their operations, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and
reduce impacts on the environment from the use of energy.
CSP offers payments for these and many other conservation activities:
Performing a professional energy audit of farm/ranch operations;
Supplying 90% of crop nitrogen needs with legumes, manures, and/or other
organic sources;
Purchasing bio-fuels (bio-diesel and or ethanol) for farm operations;
Producing renewable energy on farm;
Less tilling – which reduces energy use and increases carbon sequestration |
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) |
Voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect,
restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. Goal is to achieve the
greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat,
on every acre enrolled in the program. This program offers landowners an
opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and
protection through the establishment of permanent or 30-year conservation
easements or through restoration cost-share agreements where no easement is
involved. |
Wetlands are carbon sinks – increasing the acreage of wetland increases
carbon sequestration.
Prevent the loss of wetland. |
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) |
Voluntary program that encourages creation of high quality wildlife
habitats that support wildlife populations of National, State, Tribal, and
local significance. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to
landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic
habitat areas on their property. NRCS works with the participant to develop
a wildlife habitat development plan. This plan becomes the basis of the
cost-share agreement between NRCS and the participant. NRCS provides
cost-share payments to landowners under these agreements that are usually 5
to 10 years in duration, depending upon the practices to be installed. |
Habitat development – carbon sequestration results from conversion of
cropland to perennial vegetation or improved management of forests and
grasslands. |
Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) |
A voluntary program established for the purpose of restoring and
enhancing forest ecosystems to: 1) promote the recovery of threatened and
endangered species, 2) improve biodiversity; and 3) enhance carbon
sequestration. Program achieves these goals through 30-year or 99-year
easements or through habitat restoration cost-share agreements for up to 10
years. |
Tree planting – increases the amount of carbon stored in soil and in
trees,
Prevent the development of forested land. |
Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) |
Provides funds to purchase developmental rights to keep productive
farmland in use. The program provides matching funds to State, Tribal, or
local governments
and non-governmental organizations with existing farm and ranch land
protection programs to purchase conservation easements. |
Prevent the development of farm land – so continual carbon sequestration |
Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) |
Voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect,
restore, and enhance grasslands on their property through easements. The
program emphasizes support for working grazing operations; enhancement of
plant and animal biodiversity; and protection of grassland and land
containing shrubs and forbs under threat of conversion to cropping, urban
development, and other activities that threaten grassland resources. |
Well-managed grazing systems improve the health and vigor of plants,
enhance the quality and quantity of water, and reduce accelerated soil
erosion and improve soil condition on the land. As a result, can enhance the
sequestering atmospheric carbon in the soil. |
Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) |
The purpose of the RC&D program is to encourage and improve the
capability of volunteer local elected and civic leaders in designated RC&D
areas to plan and carry out projects for resource conservation and community
development. Program objectives focus on “quality of life” improvements
achieved through natural resources conservation and community development.
Such activities lead to sustainable communities, prudent land use, and the
sound management and conservation of natural resources. Assistance is
provided, as authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture, to designated RC&D
areas through their organized RC&D councils (comprised of local leaders).
RC&D priorities are set by area residents to meet their needs. |
Better land management – carbon sequestration |
Agriculture Management Assistance (AMA) |
Provides cost-share and incentive payments to agricultural producers to
voluntarily address issues, such as water management, water quality, and
erosion control by incorporating conservation practices into their farming
operations. Producers may construct or improve water management structures
or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water
quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource
conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest
management, or transition to organic farming. AMA is available in 15 states
where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically
low. |
Planting trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality can also serve
as carbon sequestration.
Energy conservation |
Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) |
The purpose of the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program is to
undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain
easements, for runoff retardation and soil erosion prevention to safeguard
lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any
watershed whenever fire, flood or any other natural occurrence is causing or
has caused a sudden impairment of the watershed. |
Less erosion – more carbon sequestration |
Watershed Operations (WF-03/08) |
Watershed planning and management |
Land treatment practices that are beneficial to reducing GHG emissions
and increasing carbon sequestration. |
Financial Incentives and Assistance in related agencies
and institutions
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Climate Change and Effects on Ecosystems
Coral Reefs
Coral
reef ecosystems are under stress from many sources including increased sea
surface temperature, ocean acidification, pollution, over-fishing, coastal use
and extreme events such as storm damage from hurricanes or typhoons. Loss of
coral reefs adversely affects coastal economies. Island communities whose
livelihoods depend on these reef systems as local resources are especially
vulnerable to changes in coral reef ecosystems.
The Coral Reef Task Force
was established by Presidential Executive Order in 1998. Its mission is to lead,
coordinate and strengthen US government actions to better preserve and protect
coral reef ecosystems. The Task Force is co-chaired by the Departments of
Commerce and Interior and includes 12 federal agencies, 7 US states and
territories and 3 freely associated states. As an Agency in the USDA, NRCS is a
member of the Task Force working groups and participates in meetings,
resolutions, and working groups.
In partnering with federal, state, and territory governments, NRCS has the
expertise and field offices to provide technical assistance on conservation
practices that address Local Action Strategies designed to mitigate impacts on
coral reef ecosystems. See more information on the
NRCS
Coral Reef Initiative.
Polar Regions
Soil Climate Research Stations:
NRCS has significant expertise in monitoring soil climate. Soil-climate
information is used in a wide array of applications from water resource
management to surface and ground water pollution to permafrost active layer
studies, soil engineering uses and continental-scale climate modeling. Many NRCS
soil-climate stations are located in regions of extremes. Soils in polar regions
and in high altitude areas such as Tibet, are thought to be particularly
sensitive to climate change. As early as 1999, some of these stations were
established under the auspices of the US Global Climate Change Program to better
understand soil moisture and temperature regime extremes for soil taxonomic
classification. Additional sites have been added in the last few years.
Satellite and ground surface measurements have shown that in recent decades, the
polar regions have experienced more rapid changes in the seasonality and areal
extent of snow cover and of sea ice than in the past. The installation of
multi-depth sensors provides a comparative record of permafrost and active layer
soil moisture and temperature at multiple depths.
Antarctica:
Relatively little is known about Antarctic soils and soil-climate in particular,
other than that the soils may represent the coldest, driest part of the
soil-climate continuum. Seven long-term soil-climate stations were located in
Antarctica such that the effects of latitude, elevation, and soil age could be
studied. One study site was chosen adjacent to Scott Base as part of an
international cooperative project lead by Landcare Research, Hamilton New
Zealand to conduct research on the effects of fuel spills on Antarctic soils. At
all stations, measurements at multiple depths are made at regular intervals
throughout the day and recorded every hour. Because of the remoteness and
extreme conditions at many of the locations, data cannot be transmitted
instantaneously but is manually downloaded once a year from each station. The
Scott Base site is a real-time climate station. Data from this site is posted on
the National Water Climate Center
Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN). A complete map of the sites, station
records, data labels, and soils descriptions can be downloaded at:
http://soils.usda.gov/survey/scan/
. Data collected manually is posted to this latter site.
Alaska:
The discussion and links to the remote soil-climate stations in Alaska are
currently under development. At present, only the data for the real-time
stations sites can be accessed through the National Water Climate Center site
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan/
.
Resources and Publications
COMET-VR Voluntary Reporting
Carbon Management Online Tool
1605(b) Voluntary
Reporting Registry
Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships
Methane to Markets Partnership
Climate and Water Supply Data (SNOTEL and
SCAN)
Farm Energy Estimators
NRCS Air Quality
NRCS Energy Estimators
NRCS
Environmental Credit Trading Information Series: 1. Carbon Credit Trading on Rangelands
NRCS
Technical Note 190.AGR.1.ECS - Agronomy - Precision Agriculture: NRCS
support for emerging technologies
National Resources
Inventory (NRI)
Web Soil Survey
Global
map of Soil Organic Carbon
U.S. Drought Monitor
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
White House
Environmental News
4th Climate
Action Report (CAR4)
Western
Climate Initiative
Publications and Forms:
back to top> In the News:
International Climate Change Framework
Meetings:
Biodiversity in a
Rapidly Changing World, Washington, D.C., December 8-10, 2008
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