Washington-The U.S. House of Representatives on June 26 passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (HR 2454) by a vote of 219 to 212. The climate change bill, sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), was opposed by The Fertilizer Institute (GM June 29, p. 10). “As written, the legislation will render the U.S. nitrogen industry uncompetitive and threatens to force fertilizer production overseas to countries that do not regulate emissions, resulting in a loss both for the economy and for the cause of reducing CO2 emissions,” said TFI President Ford B. West. “We believe that H.R. 2454 will cause fuel switching and drive up the price of natural gas. Every $3 increase in the price of natural gas adds more than $1 billion to the cost of nitrogen production. Additional increases in the domestic price of natural gas caused by fuel switching will lead to an even more severe competitive disadvantage. U.S. producers will face a stark choice of losing market share to imports or moving production overseas ?Çô neither choice is good for the U.S. economy, the environment or U.S. food security.” West also faulted the bill for its “lack of understanding of the science behind the nitrogen cycle and the essential role of plant nutrients in food production,” taking aim at certain agricultural practices the bill cites to avoid or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “GHG emissions can come from all types of nitrogen sources applied to the soil, regardless of whether these are applied as commercial fertilizer or manure,” West said. “Whether a farmer chooses to use commercial or organic fertilizer sources, they need to adopt best management practices.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain