Carbon Farming Bill Passed

You should be proud of your achievement because today is a red letter day for the Carbon Farming movement: The Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011 was passed by the House of Representatives this morning. It was opposed by the National Party and the Liberal Party on the grounds that too much of the detail is to be released as Regulation. (The reason for so much detail being left to the regulation process is because this is a world first on so many fronts that we are inventing processes as we go. If we wait until all the details are worked out, we will never get started.) In the meantime, we are working on a submission on the Positive and Negative Lists for the Department of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency. We also have a methodology for soil carbon sequestration in the final stages of preparation for submission to the government's expert panel. It features 5 year renewable contracts and risk management by a self-insurance buffer pool system. We have fashioned the methodology from a farmer's point of view. Anything less would defeat the purpose of the Legislation. The Bill Now goes to the Senate for decision.

The Carbon Farming Conference for 2011 will focus on all the opportunities for farmers to earn carbon offsets by reducing emissions or by enriching their soils. The Carbon Farming Initiative can be the catalyst for reversing the long decline in soil health and build the resilience of farm landscapes to better respond to climate extremes to come.

www.carbonfarmingconference.com.au