All about carbon

While the topic is mystifying to me, carbon sequestration's role in agriculture is becoming more prominent as a public policy issue. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today announced a hearing of the Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit. The hearing, “Creating Jobs with Climate Solutions: How agriculture and forestry can help lower costs in a low-carbon economy,” will be held Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 2:30 pm EDT in Room 328A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) will chair the hearing.

Witnesses will include:

Dick Wittman, Member of the Steering Committee on the Agricultural Carbon Market Working Group and Past President of the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association

Laurie Wayburn, President and Co-founder, Pacific Forest Trust

Dr. Ruben Lubowski, Economist and the Forest Carbon Economics Fellow, Environmental Defense

Steve Corneli, Vice President Market and Climate Policy, NRG Energy, Inc.

Derik Broekhoff, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute