Letter: Walz's climate change vote is important, needed

• Rep. Tim Walz

Rep. Tim Walz

Talk about it

America’s family farmers and ranchers have a unique role to play when it comes to combating global climate change. Congressman Tim Walz understands that, and I thank him for his vote in support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. As President Obama said about the legislation’s passage, it is a “bold and necessary step.”

Farmers Union supports a national, mandatory carbon emission cap and trade system to reduce nonfarm greenhouse gas emissions. A flexible agricultural offset program within the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 will allow producers to mitigate climate change by adopting sound science and proven environmental practices. With the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in control of sound science and climate change statistics, it will allow individual producers to be recognized as early actors for their innovative efforts in sequestering carbon using a variety of techniques, and will allow American farmers and ranchers to continue to provide consumers with the most affordable and abundant food supply in the world.

Allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) control over climate change regulations was not an option because farmers would have been hard hit.

Thank you, Congressman Walz, for standing up for farmers and ranchers and allowing them to be a part of the climate change solution.

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