The United States could manage the nation's forest and agricultural lands in ways that would sequester more carbon and reduce U.S. emissions of carbon, according to two reports issued by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change on 21 September. The reports recommend a national strategy that could include policies such as regulating land use of privately owned forests, incentives for farmers, and changing public land practices. According to the reports, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions could be offset by one fifth through changes in agricultural land practices and the foresting of marginal agricultural lands, and the use of biofuels could reduce emissions by another 10 to 25 percent. The reports, "Agriculture's Role in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation" and "Agricultural and Forestlandsc U.S. Carbon Policy Strategies," are available at httpc//www.pewclimate.org |