Carbon Credits

[Hopperbin]

That is just it. Farmers are selling their carbon credits for pennies on the dollar. Lets see phosphate 1200 per ton.
Anhydrous 900 per ton, sulfer 600 per ton. Canola 700 per ton etc.etc. You get it. I am thinking farmers are short a few bricks on this one.

[Burbert]

A lot of enviro law is BS. Just think about it, polluters are those who toss stuff in rivers and streams, without a permit. Paying for a permit makes the action legal, it does nothing for the environment, but the government gets the cash. Cutting a Christmas tree on Crown land, without a permit is illegal, but just look at the mess forest companies make, but they have a permit to do so, again it does nothing for the environment, but the government gets the cash. Mine without a permit, you are breaking the law, mine with a permit, make a big mess, environment the loser, government gets the cash. Cook pulp without a permit, pollute the air against the law, get a permit give the government the cash things are good. Pattern seems to be forming, pollute, pay, enviro dirty, government happy with cash! Earth ultimately will perish, sometime in future, due to dirty stinking rotten pollution in the air, water and on the land!(Global warming beginning now?) Government coffers will be full though, well done politicos, well done, as long as the economy chugs along all is well.

[Ron]

Burbert, thanks. I agree with your post. A bit of a rant but I like to rant sometimes.
The carbon credits is smoke and mirrors, wont make a damn bit of difference. But if I can get a cheque for PAST years without ANY consequences on future practices without changing any of my agronomic decisions I will do so.
It is a hell of a lot better for my farm than the chemical bundles that influence my rotations.

[bucket]

j_w

Obviously you haven't dealt with du or else they are kissing your ass for an easement on your land. These guys around my area are aholes to the tenth degree.

[Hopperbin]

Ron I believe you have consequences. You have sold carbon that you cannot sell in the future when prices are 50 times higher.

[Hopperbin]

I believe these companies that sell our carbon are doing so on the basis that we are sequesturing more carbon than what we get credit for, so in essence you are only getting paid for partial of your carbon sequestured. Since our carbon sequesture is only for a limitted amount of years up until the land is maxed out.
By getting paid only for partial of the carbon that is how they let some off for not compliance. Some day you will run out of carbon to sell and C02 trading is here to stay.

[Hopperbin]

Ron you cannot sell C02 forever. After so many years you are done. Even though your sold C02 is not mandatory it is recorded.
You cannot resell it or sell it to another company.

[Ron]

But how long will they go retroactively? If the price pops up 10 years from now will they pay back to 2003? I understand what you are saying that it is a limited amount but most of my land is rented, I may not have it 3 years from now?
I think it is all a crock of shit and I might as well get a small cheque before policy changes and we switch back to global cooling (when I was in grade school the ice age was coming, end of cropping in canada for sure).

[just_wondering]

Ron I'm with you on this, I sold in the past because it was retroactive.
So far c-green is the only game in town, so far.
If farmers are not active on this file you can be sure big oil/auto/government will be more than happy to take credit for your credits.
I've been told in the EU farmers don't get paid for agricultural credits all it is, is a policy change.
For now I'm going with the bird in hand thorey.
I may be wrong, but.

[just_wondering]

hopper how much would you sell your credits for?
Where should the market be at?
If grass land is now included(policy change) and you get 1 credit per acre and a credit is worth $5.75.
Some of that land in the province you can rent for the taxes run your animals/baler over it and then get the carbon credit as well why would you not do it, especially on rented land?