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Preliminary Assessment of Nitrous Oxide Offsets in a Cap and Trade Program

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Marc Ribaudo ,
Jorge Delgado  and
Michael Livingston
Marc Ribaudo
Affiliation:
Agricultural Economists with the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Washington, D.C.
Jorge Delgado
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Service of the USDA in Fort Collins, Colorado
Michael Livingston
Affiliation:
Agricultural Economists with the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Washington, D.C.
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Abstract

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that is emitted from cropland treated with nitrogen fertilizer. Reducing such emissions through nutrient management might be able to produce offsets for sale in a cap and trade program aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. We use the Nitrate Leaching and Economic Analysis Program (NLEAP) model and data from the Agricultural and Resource Management Survey to examine what changes in rate, timing, or method of application a farmer would take to produce offsets. We find that reducing the application rate is the most favored approach for producing offsets. We also find that some management choices may increase nitrate losses to water.

Keywords

nitrous oxidenutrient managementcap and tradeNLEAPgreenhouse gas
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , August 2011 , pp. 266 - 281
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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