USDA seeks precision in measuring greenhouse gases and carbon reductions
As part of President Biden’s goal to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade, the USDA will spend $300 million to more accurately measure and verify GHG emissions and carbon sequestration by climate-smart agriculture, said the White House on Wednesday. Climate adviser Ali Zaidi said the project would help “the people on the front lines of the climate crisis to be part of the solution.”
Senate confirms Torres Small as Agriculture deputy secretary
By more than a 10-to-1 margin, senators confirmed Xochitl Torres Small, the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers who became a lawyer and a U.S. lawmaker, as Agriculture deputy secretary on Tuesday. She is the first Hispanic to hold the No. 2 post at USDA, overseeing day-to-day operations at one of the largest federal departments.
Consider alternatives to electric vehicles, say trade groups
The Biden administration should reconsider a proposed “tail pipe” rule that is projected to make electric vehicles (EVs) the best-selling new cars and pickup trucks by 2032, said an unusual alliance of 100 petroleum, ethanol, farm, and retail groups on Tuesday. The oil industry hinted at possible litigation over what one spokesman called “a de facto ban” on gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
De-escalation in farmland market:Fewer properties are being offered for sale, and increases in farmland values are now in the single digits after double-digit growth in 2021 and 2022. But demand remains strong for high-quality agricultural land. (Farmers National Co.)
Crimp CCC, say senators: Irked by USDA’s climate-smart agriculture initiative, three Republican senators filed a bill to block the USDA from drawing money from the $30 billion fund known as the Commodity Credit Corporation unless the outlay was specifically approved by Congress. (Grassley)
Hottest by large margin: Last month was the hottest June since record-keeping began, with a global mean temperature that was “a surprisingly large margin” of 0.18 degree C or 0.34 degree F above the record set in 2022. (Berkeley Earth)
Covid common in deer: The first year of research shows the Covid-19 virus spread widely among white-tailed deer, mutated, and in three cases may have been transmitted back to humans, said the USDA. (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
