Australian Government to reward flaming pig poo
The Australian Government will provide pig farmers with the opportunity to earn carbon credits for burning their pig manure, if proposed new legislation is approved under the government’s new Carbon Farming Initiative.
The Federal Government has established the Carbon Farming Initiative to develop carbon offsetting methodologies so Australia’s farmers can receive credits for reducing their carbon output.
Under the Federal Government’s ‘Methodology for the Destruction of Methane Generated from Manure in Piggeries’ plan, farmers can capture the methane emissions produced by manure and destroy the gas by flaring to prevent it entering the atmosphere, or alternatively can use the methane to generate heat and electricity.
The methodology was developed in collaboration with the Australian Government, the pork industry and scientists, and assessed by the independent Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee.
Comments from government and industry
Minister for Agriculture, Senator Joe Ludwig said, “Farmers can trade the offsets they generate for carbon credits, which they can then sell to generate income. This will put Australian farmers at the forefront of emission reduction practices and provide valuable opportunities for farmers to trade carbon offsets internationally.”
Australian Pork Limited CEO Andrew Spencer said that by using the methodology, producers could increase the return on each finished carcass by around A$3.45.
The Carbon Farming Initiative is expected to begin operating in December 2011.
The flaming pig poo is expected to be the first of many methodologies that will be available for Australian farmers to gain carbon credits. Others are expected to include savanna burning, landfill gas, waste diversion and environmental plantings.
Grants announced to fill ‘carbon research gap’
The Australian Government announced the first round of competitive grants funding under a A$201 million program called the ‘Filling the Research Gap’ program.
The government is seeking to provide financial assistance for new projects in emerging carbon abatement technologies, strategies and management practices aimed at “reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector over the next six years”.
Ideas mooted include further refinement of cattle genetics and feed alternatives to reduce livestock methane emissions and waste management strategies, new fertiliser technologies and management strategies to reduce soil nitrous oxide emissions, and new crop species to build soil carbon.
Eligible applicants include Australian research and development corporations, primary industry organizations, tertiary institutions, and other research centres, agencies and organisations. Applications for the round one grants close in February 2012.
Some environmentalists believe this new government funding program, which follows the recent passing of the carbon tax regime, may enhance Australia’s reputation for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – notwithstanding Australia is a world-leading exporter of coal to the rest of the world.
Others who are more sceptical say that the new program is a five-year compensation scheme providing a respite for farmers from a heftier tax burden that is likely to increase their production costs.
Why write such a misleading article about a genuine program for the abatement of one of the worst greenhouse gases(methane) that contribute to global warming? Methane is a serious issue, as huge amounts are generated by sewerage like our own and that from animal farming. Trivialisation demonstrated by your article about flaming pig poo may appeal to some populist notion of opposition to doing our bit in controlling and reducing green house gases but it does you a discredited and makes me question as to whether you really understand science based policy, something I would think is fundamental to a safe food industry. PS Burning methane as an alternative fuel source will actually save people money!
We didn’t mean to trivialise the issue. To talk about methane in a headline is probably not very original or eye-catching as ‘Flaming Pig Poo’. The article itself deals with the substantive issues. There are concerns with the carbon price scheme about its impact on farmers incurring additional production costs and a legitimate basis for argument as to whether the money is being well spent in unproven research and development (‘Filling The Research Gap’ program) rather than government encouraging the use of proven carbon abatement/reducing/mitigation technologies. This has led to surmise that the purpose of the scheme is politically motivated to compensate the farming sector financially.