And you thought subsidizing corn ethanol and fatty diet food crops was bad.

You think food prices and water shortages are bad now… just wait.

Well now we will be paying American farmers more to waste food crop lands we so desperately need.

For what "dirty fuel carb credits"….

VIA- REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

NEW YORK - US farmers could earn $4 to $6 billion annually by selling carbon credits -- if prices for greenhouse gas reductions in the states catch up to what they sell for in Europe, an official at a voluntary climate market said on Thursday.

A bill that would regulate greenhouse gases is expected to be voted on by the full US Senate next year. If it becomes law, it is expected to boost prices for US carbon credits.

The main method for farmers to earn credits on CCX is "no till" agriculture, in which crop waste is left to rot in the soil, sequestering the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the soil and preventing it from reaching the atmosphere.

US farmers have already earned about $15 to $20 million for no till and grassland agriculture through the CCX, said Ferretti. Potentially. US farmers could sequester about 120 to 270 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, he said.

My question is, will SUV driving soccer moms be able to purchase "guilt" offsets for the souls of the "tens of millions" who die every year because we have decided to waste these crop and water resources for fuel "carbon offsets"?

Keep in mind this is just another farm and subsidy "tax and credit scam"

We could just as easily utilize these funds to protect existing and future forests. Throw in forest fire prevention and we will "offset" billions of tonnes greenhouse gas.

Seriously, do a little math:

Stopping just 30% forest destruction and wild fires would prevent BILLIONS of tonnes of green house gases from entering the atmosphere.

The World Bank on Tuesday launched plans for a US$300 million fund to fend off global warming by preserving forests, but protesters said it risked turning homes of indigenous people into an asset for the rich. The new financing mechanism, launched at UN talks on tackling climate change, aims to turn better forest management into a tradeable commodity to try to halt destruction so rapid it accounts for around a fifth of annual carbon emissions. "If we don't focus on retaining ...Link