Trade, the Environment, and Farm Bill Reflections
 (March 2007)

Ohio Environment Report v4(1): Trade, the Environment, and Farm Bill Reflections
The articles in this issue of the Ohio Environment Report tackle two important issues of interest to Ohioans.  First, Dr. Ian Sheldon, Andersons Professor of International Trade at Ohio State University, examines whether and how free trade affects the environment, and how trade policies can address environmental impacts.  The second article considers conservation proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill, and highlights a few key issues to consider about the evolution of conservation policy in the Farm Bill. 

Trade and the Environment
WTO Trade and Environment Page

Greenpeace Trade and the Environment Page

The Trade and Environment Database (TED) at American University

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Economics and Trade Branch

GETS: Global Environment and Trade Study

2007 Farm Bill Information

Environmental Working Group Farm Bill Goals

American Farmland Trust Farm Bill Policy Recommendations

US Department of Agriculture Farm Bill Page

American Farm Bureau Policy Statement on the 2007 Farm Bill (pdf document)

Forbes.com on the impact of the Farm Bill on stocks

Setting the Stage for the Next Farm Bill (Choices Magazine)

Balancing the Multiple Objectives of Conservation Programs (USDA Economic Research Service - 06-2006)

Ukrainian Agri-Environmental Issues and Carbon Sequestration In US Agricultural Soils
 (July 2007)

Ohio Environment Report v4(2): Ukrainian Agri-Environmental Issues and Carbon Sequestration in US Agricultural Soils
In this issue of the Ohio Environment Report, Ukrainian economists Oleg Kucher describes the agricultural and environmental situation in the country of Ukraine, including discussion of privatization, the adjustment to a market economy, and environmental policies.  A second article considers  carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and policies and programs to address carbon sequestration in the US and Ohio. The final article examines "carbon offsets" which have become a large industry in recent years.

Ukrainian Agriculture and Environment
Presidential Website: http://www.president.gov.ua/en/
Parliament Website: http://portal.rada.gov.ua/control/en/index
Cabinet Website: http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en
Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine: http://www.minagro.kiev.ua/?lng=E
State Statistics Committee of Ukraine (DERZHKOMSTAT)

Ukrainian Land and Resource Management Center

Center for Land Reform Policy in Ukraine

UNDP-GEF Dnipro Basin Environment Program

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

National Association of Agricultural Advisory Services of Ukraine

The Institute for Rural Development

AgroWeb Ukraine

Agro Perspective

Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils
Chicago Climate Exchange

Soil Carbon Center at Kansas State University

Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases

Sustainable Travel International Carbon Offsets site

Clean Air-Cool Planets 

International Climate Change Policy Update
 (December 2007)

Ohio Environment Report v4(3): International Climate Change Policy Update
The topic of climate change got a lot of press in 2007.  Early in the year it was the release of the three reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change combined with the Oscar Al Gore won for his movie.  By fall, the former Vice President and the members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.  In December, the world turned its attention to Bali, where negotiators from nearly all countries of the world discussed efforts to combat climate change and/or to adapt to its impacts. If the science of climate change generates some debate (and despite general agreement on some issues – the scientists really do debate lots of issues), the policy discussions create heated conversations, sometimes acrimonious press statements, and emotional displays of bliss or gloom. The recent United Nations meetings in Bali are a perfect example of the stakes of climate change policy for Ohio, the U.S., and the world.

United Nations Climate Conference
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php

IISD Reporting Service (Reports on the negotiations)
http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop13/

Pew Center on Climate Change Policy Pages
http://www.pewclimate.org/policy_center/

Resources For the Future – US Climate Policy Page
http://www.weathervane.rff.org/solutions_and_actions/united_states.cfm

World Resources Institute Climate Page
http://www.wri.org/climate#

Environmental Defense Climate Page
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=65

The Heritage Foundation on the results of the Bali Conference
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm1759.cfm 

The Potential for Water Quality Trading in Ohio (January/March 2006)
 

Ohio Environment Report v3(1):The Potential for Water Quality Trading in Ohio
This issue discusses two important topics in water quality in Ohio.  The first article below describes the potential for water quality trading in Ohio. The Ohio EPA is planning to write and implement rules for water quality trading this year.  This means that within several years, a number of pollution trading programs could be in place in different parts of the state.  The article below describes pollution trading, and discusses many of the issues that are likely to arise as Ohio moves down the path towards implementing this policy. The second article presents the results of an economic analysis of the benefits of implementing conservation practices in the Upper Big Walnut Watershed in Central Ohio.

Additional Links:

Choices Magazine Edition on "Markets for the Environment"

Ohio EPA Water Quality Trading Website

US EPA Water Quality Trading Website

World Resources Institute: Nutrientnet

State of Michigan Water Quality Trading Program

Environmental Trading Network

National Association of Conservation Districts Water Quality Trading Site

International Environmental Issues: Water, Forests, and Agriculture (April/June 2006)

Ohio Environment Report v3(2): International Environmental Issues: Water, Forests, and Agriculture.
This issue explores several important global environmental issues: water quantity and quality, forests, and agricultural expansion.  The first article, by two internationally recognized resource economists (Doug Southgate and Eugenio Figueroa) examines the Chilean water experience.  They argue that property rights and markets are ideally suited to allocating clean water among users, and that equity concerns (i.e., ensuring that all citizens have access to clean water) can be addressed by institutional design and well-functioning legal frameworks.  The second article examines how sustainable the world's forests are, and how long they might last.  The article concludes that forestry in developed countries is largely sustainable, but there are significant concerns about the sustainability of forests in developing tropical countries.  Agricultural expansion and forestry management practices contribute strongly to losses in  forest cover and habitat in those regions.

Additional Links:

Water Quantity and Use in the Great Lakes Region

World Health Organization: Water, Sanitation and Health

Southern Regional Water Program

United Nations Environment Program: Overview of the State of the World's Fresh and Marine Waters

United Nations World Water Assessment Program

United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization

Center for International Forestry Research

Rainforest Alliance

International Food Policy Research Institute

Land Use Research at SAGE

World Energy and Climate Change
 (July/August 2006)

Ohio Environment Report v3(3): World Energy and Climate Change.
The articles in this issue of the Ohio Environment Report illustrate the importance of longer term energy issues.  The first article, by Seppo Korpela, a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State University, considers the issue of "peak oil," the notion that after a long run, oil production will start to decline in the near future.  The article illustrates how this important change will have widespread consequences for economies, and it motivates the rationale for broader thinking about transportation and energy policy.  The second article considers climate change, arguing that while there is uncertainty about the climate change hypothesis and the costs of large reductions in damages are likely greater than the benefits, the world – including the United States – is engaging in policy.  Ohio has taken a back seat in policy-making so far, but it needs to take a more prominent role in order to handle the long-term dilemmas created by peak oil and potential climate change.

Additional Links

Seppo Korpela's webpage on the looming world energy crises (links to interesting pages)

Statistical Review of World Energy 2006 by British Petroleum

BBC News on Peak Oil

Cambridge Energy Research Associates

The Economist on Peak Oil

Pew Center on Global Climate Change

US Climate Change Science Program

United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change & Kyoto Protocol

Real Climate Blog

Stanford Energy Modeling Forum

US Environmental Protection Agency Climate Site

Department of Energy Climate Change Site

Energy Information Administration Climate Change web page
(Includes link to 1605b voluntary climate change reporting guidelines)

(November, 2005)

Conservation and the Next Farm Bill

Ohio Environment Report v2(5): Conservation and the Next Farm Bill
This issue argues that the next farm bill will bring even larger federal conservation programs with expanded funding - potentially up to $5 billion per year nationally by 2012.  By controlling most of the funding, USDA will be the major player in water quality policy as it relates to land-use, thus continuing to erode the influence of traditional environmental agencies on key water quality issues.  As always, federal funding for agricultural conservation brings questions about performance, and the article urges a movement towards value based conservation.  A second article examines the efficiency of implementation of the CREP program in Ohio.

Additional Links:
Farm Bill Network

National Agricultural Law Center Farm Bill Page

USDA, Economic Research Service Farm Bill Page

European Union on the 2002 Farm Bill

Office of the United States Trade Representative

Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database

American Farmland Trust Farm Bill Page

Radical Changes for the U.S. Farm Bill?

Liberalizing Agriculture: Why the U.S. Should Look to New Zealand and Australia

September, 2005

Air Quality (September, 2005)

Ohio Environment Report v2(4): Air Quality Issues in Ohio
In this issue of Ohio Environment Report Dr. Andy Keeler of the School of Public Policy and Management at Ohio State University writes about how recent changes in federal pollutant standards are likely to affect Ohio.  Dr. Keeler served on the Presidents Council of Economic Advisors as the senior environmental economist in 2000 and 2001, and is widely recognized as a leading expert on environmental regulation. 

Additional Links

US EPA's site for the new ozone NAAQS

US EPA's site for the new particulate matter standard

US EPA's site for new federal clean air rules

Ohio EPA Division of Air Pollution Control

Ohio Environmental Council's take on the new standards

National Academy of Science: Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations: Current Knowledge, Future Needs

US EPA Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Compliance Agreement Fact Sheet

US EPA: National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report, 2003

May, 2005

Forestry in Ohio (5/2005)

Ohio Environment Report v2(3): Economic and Policy Trends Likely to Affect the future of Forests in Ohio
This article addresses economic aspects of several management and policy issues related to forestry in Ohio, including historical trends in Ohio forests, trends in timber management on Ohio private and public forests, and potential future land use change in Ohio, including estimates of changes in forestland, cropland and developed land.

Data:     US Forest Service FIA Forest Resource Mapmaker

            Ohio Timber Price Report         

Report:  UN FAO: State of the World's Forests (2005)

Agencies: ODNR Division of Forestry

Environmental Groups: Buckeye Forest Council

Professional Groups: Society of American Foresters

Other: Forests of Ohio (Fact Sheet)

March, 2005

Measuring Water Quality and Policy (3/2005)

Ohio Environment Report v2(2):Do Water Quality Measures and Weighting Influence Policy?
This issue includes articles by Dr. David Baker and the Ohio EPA who weigh in on the potential policy consequences of the weighting system used to generate watershed assessment scores and statewide water quality scores.  These scores support measurement of Ohio's progress toward the goal of 80% use attainment by 2010. 

Want to comment on the articles? Click here

Want to suggest additional links? Click here

Data: Ohio Integrated Report (2004)

Maps: Ohio Watershed Scores
Ohio Large River Scores

Research: "Biological Assessment and Criteria Improve Total Maximum Daily Load Decision Making " by Karr and Yoder.

Research: "Measures of Environmental Performance and Ecosystem Condition." 1999.  National Academy of Engineering

Other: National Water Quality Monitoring Council

Other: Extension Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring National Facilitation Project

What do other countries do?  The (Australian) National Water Quality Management Strategy

January, 2005

The CRP Program in Ohio (1/2005)

Ohio Environment Report v2(1): The CRP Program in Ohio: What Will the Future Bring?

Information: USDA Farm Service Agency CRP Web Site

Information: EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Information: Background information from the Farm Foundation

Information: Ohio Upper Big Walnut CREP; Ohio Lake Erie CREP; Ohio Scioto CREP

News Articles: The Importance of CRP (North Dakota Outdoors)

Research: The Conservation Reserve Program: Economic Implications for Rural America 

Research: The Conservation Reserve Program: Good For Birds of Many Feathers

Research: Conservation Reserve Program Research Bibliography

Information: Sell your future CRP payments...

Research: A national survey of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants on environmental effects, wildlife issues, and vegetation management on program lands

Research: Congressional Budget Office: 97-673 - Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues

Research: The Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on Elevator Merchandising Margins in Oklahoma

November, 2004

Total Maximum Daily Loads

Ohio Environment Report: Ohio Water Quality, TMDL's, and Agriculture (11/8/04)

Information: Ohio's TMDL Program (Ohio EPA)

Information: USEPA TMDL Page

Information: USDA National Ag Library TMDL Page

Information: National Association of Homebuilders TMDL Toolkit

Information: TMDLs.net

Fact Sheet: OSU Extension Fact Sheet

Research: Assessing the TMDL Approach to Water Quality Management (National Academies of Science Publication, 2001; available online for free)

Research: The New Face of the Clean Water Act: A Critical Review of the EPA's Proposed TMDL Rules (Resources For the Future, 2000; PDF file)

Research: Clean Water Act and TMDLs (Congressional Research Service, 1997; html)

Research: Water Environmental Research Foundation Website 

September, 2004

Conservation Security Program Implementation....

Ohio Environment Report: Conservation and the Conservation Security Program (9/21/04)

News: Proposal To Monitor Water Quality Wins Top USDA Award to study water in Ohio (9/30)

News: Farm vote may not hinge on agriculture issues (9/25)

News: USDA Grants Ohio $1M extra in EQIP Funds

Research: Environmental Compliance in U.S. Agricultural Policy: Past Performance and Future Potential (05/2004)

Research: Environmental Conservation in Agriculture: Land Retirement versus Changing Practices on Working Land (06/2004)

Research: USDA Economic Research Service Working Land Research

Information: Land Stewardship Project Conservation Security Program website.

Information: Conservation Technology Information Center