Washington Insider -- Monday

By DTN's Washington Insider

Here's a quick monitor of Washington farm and trade policy issues from DTN's well-placed observer.

Report Claims Climate Change May Affect Nutritional Value of Crops

Climate change threatens to undermine not only the quantity of food that can be grown but also its quality, according to a new study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Among other things, the study claims that altered weather patterns lead to less desirable harvests and that crops grown by many of the nation's farmers now have a lower nutritional content than they once did.

For example, the report says research indicates that higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reduced the protein content in wheat. And the International Rice Research Institute has warned that the quality of rice available to consumers will decrease as temperatures rise, the report notes.

In preparation for changing growing environments, the council recommends a significant new U.S. commitment to animal biology and plant management. The report also suggests that the United States meet the challenge with a renewed focus on agricultural innovation and collaboration. It also would be great if federal and state governments were to reverse the trend of recent years and pledge to commit greater financial resources to the nation's land grant research institutions.

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U.S. to Increase Tariffs on Certain Agricultural Product Imports

Imports of a number of agricultural products could be hit with additional import duties if they exceed new "trigger" levels announced last week by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service. The trigger levels encompass a variety of agriculture trade goods, including, but not limited to, beef, milk, butter, cheeses, peanuts, sugar and cotton, according to an FAS notice in the Federal Register.

Additional tariffs are permitted under World Trade Organization rules "if their import volume exceeds certain defined trigger levels or if their prices fall below predetermined trigger levels. The WTO agreement also permits additional duties to be charged "if the price of an individual shipment of imported products falls below the average price for similar goods imported during the years 1986-88 by a specified percentage."

The posting is intended to list updated trigger levels for products which may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. There is no indication that the United States intends to apply higher tariffs on the selected items in the near future.

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Washington Insider: New Intensity in Climate Change Report

In what observers say is an increasingly urgent tone, the White House released a new report that concludes that human-generated climate change is having dramatic effects on every part of the nation. Increasingly, these reports are focusing on changes already underway in addition to those anticipated.

The most recent report, the National Climate Assessment, is being touted as the most comprehensive look yet at global warming in the United States. It said climate change already is raising temperatures significantly, making water more scarce and wildfires more common.

Climate change has "moved firmly into the present" for the United States, underscoring the need for urgent action to combat threats, the report states. "Americans are noticing changes all around them. Summers are longer and hotter and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than those formerly experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer."

The report observed that coastal residents are seeing "more dramatic" changes with the increase of flooding. "Observations unequivocally show that the warming of the past 50 years is primarily due to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases," the report said.

In addition, the White House took the occasion of the report's release to call for a rapid response. "The findings in this National Climate Assessment underscore the need for urgent action to combat the threats from climate change, protect American citizens and communities today, and build a sustainable future for our kids and grandkids," a White House spokesman said.

Two administration efforts expected to be imposed using executive authority include new rules on carbon-emitting coal-powered plants and a deferred decision on the Keystone XL pipeline.

However, the report was criticized by some skeptics who dismissed it as another "scare tactic" by the administration. Many contend there is far from a consensus among U.S. scientists that the globe is in fact warming, arguing that the temperature changes have continually occurred throughout the last century.

"Facing a recovering, yet fragile, economy, with families across the country struggling to make ends meet, it is concerning that the Obama Administration is busy promoting its politically driven climate change agenda, instead of addressing the real issues plaguing our nation," said Laura Sheehan, of the American Coalition for Clean Coal. Other critics argue that rather than press action on cutting emissions overseas, the administration should visit U.S. communities being affected by the "costly regulations" on power plants it is proposing.

The new report includes research and evidence from 13 federal agencies. It found the average temperature in the United States has increased 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895. The change in climate in the last 50 years, the report concludes, is a result of human activities, mainly from the burning of fossil-fuel energy sources.

The report examines seven U.S. regions, detailing specific climate changes in each. It concludes that climate change is leading to worsened drought in the Southwest, greater heat waves and precipitation in the Northeast and lower Midwestern crop yields as a result of rising carbon dioxide.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., railed against the new report which he said was "conveniently" timed. "Fear tactics and money are powerful tools in politics," Inhofe said in a statement. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., welcomed the study, saying it "confirms with the greatest level of detail yet that climate change in the United States is all around us and we are already feeling the impacts."

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the report shows the need for the administration to move ahead with its plans to take on climate change without waiting for Congress to act. "That's why the president needs to use his administrative authority to cut the dangerous carbon pollution that is endangering the future of our children and grandchildren," Waxman said.

Certainly, climate change is as controversial as ever, but it appears that there is increasing scientific evidence that significant changes are underway already--including rising sea levels, increasing storms and changing crop yields. This suggests that the president will face increasing pressure to follow Rep. Waxman's advice and consider additional, more comprehensive steps to control greenhouse gas emissions in the near future, Washington Insider believes.

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