Biden agriculture secretary nominee wants farmers on front line of climate change fight

Agriculture Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack touted the ability that American farmers have to drive the country's progress when it comes to climate change. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Tuesday, Ranking Member Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., asked about what could be done on the agriculture front to help the climate, which has quickly become the key issue for the Biden administration. Vilsack was enthusiastic about the potential farmers have. SCHUMER SUGGESTS BIDEN DECLARE 'CLIMATE EMERGENCY' "I think agriculture is probably the first and best way to begin getting some wins in this climate area," Vilsack said. "I think farmers are prepared for it, farmers are anxious to do it." Stabenow is a co-sponsor of the Senates Growing Climate Solutions Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to help farmer participate in carbon markets, whereby those who reduce their carbon emissions below a certain level can earn credits that can then be sold to others who need produce higher levels of carbon a process known as "cap and trade." JOHN KERRY FAMILY PRIVATE JET EMITTED ESTIMATED 116 METRIC TONS OF CARBON OVER PAST YEAR Vilsack agreed that a system that incentivizes action will see support from farmers. "If it's voluntary, if it's market-based, if it's incentive-based, I think you will see farmers, ranchers, and producers cooperate extensively," he said. In the meantime, he said, there are already proposals that can be acted upon on the administrative end. These include making sure that any potential measures benefit farmers and not third parties, and forming an advisory group of farmers that would focus on how to structure carbon sequestration a method of drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Vilsack said the government also needs to improve when it comes to researching carbon sequestration. "There are ways in which root systems of crops can potentially be designed in a way that will sequester more carbon," he said. "We ought to be exploring that, we ought to be looking at ways in which we can increase market opportunities for greater storage."