Food & Farm News

Audio Actuality

How the new climate change law will affect farmers
mp3 | Real Audio (Real Player required)

Archives

2013
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

» December 17, 2007 «

Farmers look at impact of climate-change laws

As scientists discuss the potential impact of global climate change, and regulators implement laws designed to slow it, farmers work to determine their role. At a seminar in Fresno (last week), row-crop farmers learned how a new state law aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions could affect them. A California Farm Bureau specialist says farmers may develop opportunities to obtain and market carbon credits, through their work to reduce emissions and energy use.

Colorado River snowpack builds to above average

A multi-year drought has plagued the Colorado River Basin, but the early part of this snowfall season has been slightly above average. That's encouraging for Southern California farms and cities that depend on the river. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reports the snowpack in the basin stands at 108 percent of average. Recent rain caused the level of Lake Mead to rise six inches. Last season also started promisingly, but later storms bypassed the Colorado basin.

River agreement includes reservoir proposal

A proposed reservoir included in an agreement governing the Colorado River could provide more flexibility in future water planning. The agreement governs how states along the river will share water in dry years. It provides for a reservoir to be built in Southeastern California, to be funded by the Southern Nevada Irrigation District. Proponents say the new reservoir would give water planners more options in moving Colorado River water where it's needed.

Timber counties to try again for school, road funds

Representatives of timber-producing counties say they'll keep trying, to win approval for a long-term plan to assure money for local roads, schools and other services. An amendment to provide that money ended up being dropped from the energy bill passed in the U.S. Senate last week. Rural counties seek a stable funding source for the program. It replaces government money lost when logging restrictions reduced timber revenue from federal land.