Public Policy Issues
Climate Change
Congress and the Obama Administration are currently debating solutions to address global climate change. The irrigation industry is expected to be greatly affected by the outcomes of this debate, as well as by the impact of climate change on its ability to deliver irrigation water efficiently to communities, landscapes and farms.
The Irrigation Association and our members are committed to:
- Maximizing the yield from each drop of water applied to living plants.
- Quantifying and promoting irrigated land’s ecosystem services.
- Improving energy efficiency through adoption of innovative irrigation technologies and best management practices.
Background
Proposed legislation in Congress reflects the importance of sustainability for every industry’s best practices and products. Issues under debate include:
- Promoting “green” technologies.
- Incenting use of energy efficient products and practices.
- Developing long-term storage solutions for carbon dioxide, commonly referred to as carbon sequestration.
Climate change will affect water access, availability, quality and quantity. While scientific data suggests that the global amount of water remains constant, where it is in the hydrologic cycle determines how much is available for irrigation.
Irrigation & Climate Change
Irrigated farmland and “greenscapes” — turfgrass, landscapes, plant material and more — help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and provide significant ecosystem services:
- Recharging ground and surface water.
- Replenishing oxygen and improving air quality.
- Minimizing agricultural and stormwater runoff.
- Cooling surrounding areas.
- Absorbing sound, reducing noise levels.
- Providing habitats for birds and wildlife.
- Creating attractive places to live, work and play.
Increasing and improving greenscapes will further mitigate greenhouse gases and strengthen the “green economy.”
Irrigation & Energy Efficiency
While water managers use gravity to facilitate delivery wherever possible, conveyance systems rely heavily on pumps to move water from natural sources and storage facilities to the point of use. The power used to operate these pumps reflects the energy “embedded” in water.
The irrigation industry is committed to helping farmers, homeowners and other end users extract the maximum value from this embedded energy with advanced technology, efficient irrigation systems and best management practices.