Notes Perry, Staples Are Wrong On Global Warming

TYLER—Hank Gilbert, the Texas Democratic Party’s nominee for Agriculture Commissioner, Thursday night slammed Texas Governor Rick Perry for continuing to perpetuate the falsehood that the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases represent a public health threat will harm Texas agriculture.

“Controlling greenhouse gas emissions will not harm Texas agriculture. On the contrary, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and controlling global warming will actually benefit Texas agriculture,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert made his remarks in response to a letter Perry released today asking Congressional leaders to rescind a December 2009 EPA finding that greenhouse gasses are a threat to public health.

“Governor Perry and Commissioner Staples are both trying to perpetuate baseless, unsound, talking points in the hope that the myth will become truth,” Gilbert said. “The facts, however, speak for themselves.”

A 2009 report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, program that coordinates and integrates federal research on environmental change for 13 federal agencies, concluded that changes caused by global warming would negatively impact agriculture. Its findings included noting that higher levels of warming would negatively affect growth and yield; extreme weather events are likely to reduce crop yields; forage quality in pastures and rangelands generally decline when carbon dioxide concentration increases; and that increased heat, disease, and weather extremes are likely to reduce livestock productivity.

“Texas farmers and ranchers can’t afford a governor and Agriculture Commissioner that are willing to ignore the facts about global warming,” Gilbert continued.

Last week, Staples called the EPA’s decision “unnecessary government meddling” in a blog post on the Texas Department of Agriculture’s official blog. He previously claimed the EPA decision will “drive the hard-working agriculture producers who provide us with the safest, most abundant food supply in the world out of business.”

“The reality is that agriculture stands to gain substantial new sources of income from efforts to reduce carbon load in the atmosphere. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has estimated that annual net returns to farmers will range from about $1 billion per year in 2015 through 2020 to almost $15 to $20 billion in 2040 through 2050,” Gilbert said.

“Todd Staples and Rick Perry are using agriculture as a patsy in the climate change battle. They are trying to inflame the agriculture community in order to distract from the fact that only real polluting industries will actually be penalized by legislation to reduce carbon load in the atmosphere. Agriculture will not be harmed. Staples and Perry realize that by using agribusiness as a patsy in this way, they can inflame more people and create a diversion,” Gilbert said.

FACT SHEET

Perry, Staples Perpetuate Myth That EPA Decision Will Hurt Agribusiness In Texas

FACT: Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples claims that clamping down on greenhouse gas emissions will harm Texas agriculture:

The EPA’s approach that we challenged today will drive the hard-working agriculture producers who provide us with the safest, most abundant food supply in the world out of business. [SOURCE: Official Blog of Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, LINK]

Staples has also called the EPA’s determination that greenhouse gasses are harmful to public health “unnecessary government meddling:”

Unnecessary government meddling only drives out investors and provides a disincentive to do business in a particular locale, which ultimately hurts consumers. [SOURCE: Official Blog of Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, LINK]

FACT: Global warming other problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions will harm Texas agriculture:

Many crops show positive responses to elevated carbon dioxide and lower levels of warming, but higher levels of warming often negatively affect growth and yields.

Extreme events such as heavy downpours and droughts are likely to reduce crop yields because excesses or deficits of water have negative impacts on plant growth.

Forage quality in pastures and rangelands generally declines with increasing carbon dioxide concentration because of the effects on plant nitrogen and protein content, reducing the land’s ability to supply adequate livestock feed.

Increased heat, disease, and weather extremes are likely to reduce livestock productivity. [SOURCE: Global Climate Change Impacts In The U.S., U.S. Global Research Program, LINK]

FACT: America’s farmers and ranchers will benefit greatly benefit from carbon offsets:

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack notes, “… creation of an offset market will create opportunities for the agricultural sector. In particular, our analysis indicates that annual net returns to farmers range from about $1 billion per year in 2015-20 to almost $15-20 billion in 2040-50, not accounting for the costs of implementing offset practices.

[…]

What does this mean for the individual farmer? A Northern Plains wheat producer, for example, might see an increase of $.80 per acre in costs of production by 2020 due to higher fuel prices. Based on a soil carbon sequestration rate of 0.4 tons per acre and a carbon price of $16 per ton, a producer could mitigate those expenses by adopting no-till practices and earning $6.40 per acre. So, this wheat farmer does better under the House passed climate legislation than without it. And, it’s quite possible that this wheat farmer could do even better if technologies and markets progress in such a way that allows for the sale of wheat straw to make cellulosic ethanol. [SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Release No. No. 0331.09; July 22, 2009 LINK]

To view the PDF copy of the Press Release, you will need Acrobat Reader. Download it from Adobe’s website.

The office for which I’ve been nominated is one of the most important in state government. It is tasked with not only promoting Texas Agriculture, our second largest industry, but also with protecting consumers. From farm to table, we must wrestle our food chain back from Corporate Ag. It’s absolutely critical to both consumers and producers in this state. I am excited to get to talk to folks across Texas about these issues.

Todd Staples and the rest of the GOP ticket are more vulnerable than they seem to realize. For years they have failed our farmers, ranchers and the families that rely on them. I look forward to rebuilding an office that has been severely diminished thanks to 20 years of Republican inaction.

Thank you to all my friends and supporters. Now it’s time to fight for the future of our children and our state!

Sincerely yours,

Where:

Down Under Pub
212 Grande Blvd.
Tyler, TX

When: Election Night, March 2nd;

Time: 5:00 p.m. until an hour after a winner is determined.

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Image courtesy TTC NEWS ARCHIVES

By WAYNE STEWART | Palestine Herald-Press | March 1, 2010

— Democratic candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Hank Gilbert said if elected he will work to ensure Texas agriculture producers get the most from their efforts.

Some of the biggest issues facing Texas agriculture producers is unfair competition from other countries, whether it is West Texas cotton or East Texas cattle.

“Cotton farmers are losing their farms because the WTO (World Trade Organization) dictates cotton prices,” Gilbert explained. “Corporate agriculture ran labor out of our textile mills and then all of our milling went overseas and now we have no outlet for our cotton.”

He urged forming farmer-owned textile mills that would better serve Texas farmers and consumers.

What is happening to cotton farmers also is happening to Texas cattle, Gilbert pointed out.

“The number of cattle is at a 55-year low,” Gilbert continued. “Traditionally that would mean higher prices, but that’s not what’s happening.”

According to Gilbert the meat packing industry has become a three-headed monopoly and they are using free-trade agreements to import millions of tons of meat to this country while the market prices for Texas cattle remains stagnant.

Going local is the key Gilbert said.

“We need producer-owned processing facilities,” Gilbert said. “There are four states that are making billions off Texas beef and we need to make sure that money gets back to Texas producers.”

If elected agriculture commissioner Gilbert said he would make it one of his top priorities to better brand Texas products.

“Texans are leaving billions on the table for others to take,” Gilbert said. “It’s time we start collecting some of that.”

In doing so, Gilbert said agriculture would bring millions in tax revenue into the state, which is doubly important with the state facing a $16 billion budget shortfall.

Another issue which needs to be addressed is the ongoing fight over the Trans Texas Corridor. Gilbert, who founded Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, fought to stop the toll road projects and massive amounts of land it would take for construction.

“The Trans Texas Corridor won’t be dead until H.B. 3588 gets repealed,” Gilbert said. “I will make it my duty to work on that every day.”

Gilbert is facing Kinky Friedman in the race for the Democratic nomination for Texas Agriculture Commissioner.

“Using the hungry as a tool to garner votes is about as low as it gets,” said Hank Gilbert, “especially when its done to cover up our state’s fiscal mismanagement. As Commissioner of Agriculture I will work daily to provide services for our most needy and I will not bend to the political desires of others.”

***

Austin American Statesman report on the Staples budget cuts:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2010/02/17/dept_of_agriculture_releases_p.html

Democrat Hank Gilbert wants changes in Texas government

Rich Flowers | The Athens Review | March 1, 2010

Athens — Hank Gilbert dropped into Henderson County Democratic headquarters Friday to tell why he thinks Texas needs a change at Agriculture Commissioner, and, by the way, some other offices as well.

“We’ve got people who are by anointment or appointment consider themselves leaders in this state and they don’t have any concept as to what works,” Gilbert said.

The former LaPoynor Ag teacher , who now owns a ranch in Whitehouse, has his sights set on incumbent Republican Todd Staples in November. First he must get past Kinky Friedman in the Democratic Primary. Staples beat Gilbert in 2006, but the Democrat polled 1,760,402, almost 42 percent of the total. That’s more than any other statewide Democrat that year.

“We need leadership in this position — somebody who’s not a politician but has a solid background in agriculture, that wants to increase the viability of the industry and make sure we have consumer protections in place and make sure they’re enforced,” Gilbert says.

Gilbert is tired of seeing agricultural producers, such as cattle ranchers seeing so little of the profits, and the big money going out of state to businesses in places like Omaha and Kansas CIty, where their wrappers are slapped on Texas grown beef.

Gilbert said he will also fight to protect private property rights. He has been a vocal opponent of the Trans-Texas Corridor and says Staples played a big part in creating a system of toll roads that have not helped the state.

“They came up with this “innovative financing,” which my general election opponent Todd Staples helped create in the Senate. He was one of co-authors of that bill. He was head of the transportation committee at that time that passed it through.”

Gilbert questions how the state made a swing from a $9 to $14 billion surplus in January 2007 , then had to use $12.5 billion of the federal stimulus money to balance the budget for the next biennium and is looking at needing billions more during the next session.

“You can’t blame that on Washington, you can’t blame that on the recession. You have to blame that on fiscal malfeasance by people who call themselves fiscal conservatives,” Gilbert said.

There’s less than one week left until Primary Day in Texas. DFA members across the state have contacted us to recommend candidates up and down ballot — but three candidates stood out. We heard about these candidates more than any others from members on ground. We heard about their leadership and their vision.

Today I’m proud to announce Democracy for America’s endorsement of  three Texas candidates who will work day and night for a better Texas:

Hank Gilbert for Agriculture Commissioner

Hank Gilbert is a real grassroots progressive. He came up short in his 2006 race for Agriculture Commissioner, but he never stopped fighting for Texas — traveling across the state to stand up for Texans’ rights.

Hank is an expert at what he does. He’s worked at cattle ranches since he was 10 years old and he’s studied agriculture his whole life. He’s committed to helping solve the problems Texas faces today and bring real food safety and new bioenergy jobs to the state.

Simply put, Hank Gilbert is a true Texas agriculturist — and that’s exactly who should be leading the Texas Department of Agriculture.