Kevin Rudd says YES to Soil Carbon

The Prime minister today said the words the Coalition has been wating to hear for more than 2 years

"I am hearing more and more about the possible potential of enhancing the carbon stored in our soils. That is why today I am asking Tony Burke – as part of the our Australia’s Farming Future initiative – to investigate how better soil management can be part of Australia’s response to climate change," he said at the ABARE Outlook 2008 Conference in Canberra today, 4 March 2008

His speech included the following: "I recognise that this is a complex area and there is a variety of view points. I am told that there are significant challenges to measuring the emissions from different farming techniques and estimating the carbon stored in our soils.Those obstacles may make it difficult for soil carbon to play a role in our response to climate change, but we must examine the options. The truth is that, as in many aspects of climate change, we are only just beginning to look at soil carbon. ‘Low till’ or ‘no till’ soil management practices were first promoted for their environmental benefits through the previous Labor Government’s Landcare program that began in the early 1990s. More recently in Parliament, the Independent MP for New England Tony Windsor has been a champion of these practices for their water conservation benefits. We now need to investigate how such practices might provide Australian agriculture with a role in new markets related to reducing carbon emissions."

A MESSAGE OF THANKS

Congratulations to everyone who has worked to see the soil carbon solution given a fair hearing. Those who contributed money, precious time, and support know who they are. Some even risked their careers to support us. There will be statues erected to you all in the Soil Carbon Hall of Heroes. But the work is not yet done. The door has been opened a little. You can expect the sceptics to fight even harder from here on in. But the tide is turning. Our numbers are small, but we are aided by mighty forces. This is a glorious day, but t is only another step along the way to our ultimate goal: to see soil carbon traded and the farmers who grow it paid fairly for it.