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New Uses of Old Tools? Greenhouse Gas Mitigation with Agriculture Sector Policies
Author(s) -
Jones Carol Adaire,
Nickerson Cynthia J.,
Heisey Paul W.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
applied economic perspectives and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.4
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2040-5804
pISSN - 2040-5790
DOI - 10.1093/aepp/ppt020
Subject(s) - greenhouse gas , agriculture , portfolio , legislature , natural resource economics , business , energy sector , bioenergy , economic sector , economics , environmental economics , renewable energy , finance , engineering , economy , political science , ecology , electrical engineering , law , biology
Following the failure of legislative proposals for a multi‐sector greenhouse gas (GHG) cap‐and‐trade policy, the shift in focus to energy sector policies ignores the perhaps substantial potential for GHG mitigation from agriculture/forestry. We review estimates of the current U.S. agriculture sector contribution to GHG mitigation from a portfolio of existing sector policies in bioenergy, conservation, and research and development to compare accomplishments across programs. We then consider what opportunities and challenges may exist for increasing sector GHG mitigation by retargeting and/or expanding current programs—or for bioenergy‐related mitigation, implementing proposed new programs—to serve as an alternative to cap‐and‐trade.