        Rep. Collin Peterson of MinnesotaRep. Collin Peterson
used his position as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
to win key concessions for farm interests in the Waxman-Markey
climate and energy bill.Courtesy AFLCIO2008 via FlickrPeterson
and the House Agriculture Committee won a concession that
international leakage won’t be calculated as part of American
biofuels’ carbon footprint for five years, making it appear more
desirable on paper. At that point, there will be an evaluation,
but the USDA will have veto power over any decision to count
leakage.   Profit motives seem a clear driver for the leakage
exemption. But it is also partly explained by farmer culture,
which is generally more alarmed by the issue of energy security
than climate change, said Bob Stallman, president of the
American Farm Bureau Federation.  Awarding the USDA oversight of
offsets, rather than the EPA, was another big win for the
Agriculture Committee. Many environmentalists say the EPA would
be better at oversight becaus