The “Inflation Reduction Act” will provide $140 billion in agricultural “tax incentives, loans, and grants” to promote energy. Environmentalists are not happy.

Keith Schneider of the New York Times writes:

“Despite pushback from environmental groups concerned about increased pollution from farm waste, developers across the country see opportunities to build ambitious renewable energy projects to convert crops and agricultural wastes to low-carbon energy.

“But environmental groups are wary about the additional waste the effort might produce. Phosphorus and nitrogen discharges from U.S. farms are ‘the single greatest challenge to our nation’s water quality,’ according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More acres of corn, the most heavily fertilized crop, and more manure from larger livestock and poultry operations could increase nutrient pollution.

“’The federal government, in the name of climate action, is dumping billions of dollars into an already poorly regulated industry,’ said Emily Miller, a staff attorney for Food and Water Watch, a national environmental group.”

This piece originally appeared at libertyandecology.org and has been republished here with permission.