Finally, Strong Protocols for Ag Nutrient and Cropland Management GHG Reductions!

By Patrick Wood

I’ve been working in agricultural GHG accounting for nearly 5 years.  I remember, when I first read through the IPCC inventory, I was struck by the magnitude of the Global Warming Potential of N₂O…298 times greater than carbon dioxide according to the most recent IPCC assessment report.   Combined with alleviating the soil and water quality impacts of excessive fertilizer, the best practices used may also improve H₂O management and soil quality at the same time.  Assuming that the farmer can maintain high yields, this double or even triple whammy (I know not a very technical term, substitute stacking or bundling of ecosystem services instead if you want) of benefits over GHG emission reductions seems like a excellent win-win.

Field Impressions from a Carbon Forestry Survey Trip

By Brian Colleran

Effectively inventorying the ability of a forest to sequester carbon can be a daunting task, where dealing with unexpected challenges of field work is just part of a normal trip into the forest. During our latest excursion in October, we thought we were ready for anything. We had been to this property before, and had decided upon elegant solutions to all of our common challenges, as well as a few unexpected ones we might face. We had found and mapped out fords to cross the large streams in our way, upgraded our gear to include some logging tools and a protective case for our Trimble handheld computer/GPS receiver, and knew where to go for the best breakfast in north central Maine (Spencer’s Café and Bakery in Dover-Foxcroft, just in case you’re curious). We had even figured out the best way to access hard to reach sample points both within and on the far side of a very large conifer bog: we were going to canoe for 15 minutes and save ourselves an hour of walking in both the morning and the afternoon. It was shaping up to be a really successful field trip. The weather was even forecast to be clear of rain and snow for the week we would be working.

Then, reality set in. Very quickly, we realized that the amount of daylight changes dramatically from September, when we were last in the field, to October.

Bioenergy Accounting Challenges

Bioenergy Accounting Challenges

by Jeffrey Frost

Bioenergy is like the little engine that could.  Given the fixed land supply and the imperative to produce our food, feed, fiber and bioenergy feedstocks, astute observers have long noticed that even under optimistic biomass supply estimates, bioenergy can only fulfill one piece of our low carbon renewable energy future.  And while solar, wind, and hydro will ultimately, by necessity, be forced to absorb an increasing share of the total renewable energy resource demand, today’s available bioenergy – in the form of liquid biofuels, and electrical and thermal biopower – can help to reduce fossil fuel consumption before the forces of climate change create unimaginable dislocations to 21^st century life.

Welcome. . .

Welcome to AgRefresh’s new blog. We are Environmental Accountants, utilizing existing and emerging market-based opportunities to promote sustainability in the agricultural and forestry sectors.  Much of our focus is on greenhouse gas accounting and opportunities that are available to members of the bioenergy and biofuel production value chains through carbon markets.

With this blog we will explore and explain various timely issues in these markets that we find pertinent and of interest to our clients by describing examples of our work, updates on policy developments like the Federal and State renewable fuel and low carbon fuel programs, and articulating other relevant issues to players in these markets.

Thanks for reading.  We welcome your comments, questions, and perspectives.

The AgRefresh Team