[Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Sean

Sean K. Barry wrote:
> Hi Kevin,
> 
> Read the
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol>
> page ... It has a good description of how the "Carbon Trading" scheme
> is supposed to work. 

Thats the problem: Carbon TRADING!!

Basically, I add 1 tonne of carbon to teh Biosphere and then pay you to 
REMOVE one tonne of carbon from the Biosphere. This is then a "sum zero 
game" and no improvement results. At teh very best, the carbon situation 
is neutral, but there is no reduction in Biosphere Carbon. The major 
beneficiary is the middleman who brokers the deal.

TP is potentially wonderful, in that it could turn out to be "self 
financing carbon sequestration." The payment to the charcoal producer is 
the increased yield and lower soil supplement costs he has to incur.

  If countries who can participate in earning
> "carbon credits" do this (Non-Annex 1 countries) for more tons of
> carbon than all human output of carbon to the atmosphere, then we
> will finally be sequestering more carbon from the atmosphere, than is
> being pumped in.  Until then, however, we will only reduce the rate
> of carbon we put into the atmosphere, offsetting with sequestered
> carbon some of the future carbon emissions that would otherwise
> occur.
> 
> Does that make sense?
> 
Certainly, it makes sense, but as I see it you are NOT describing the 
Carbon TRADING program... the Carbon TRADING program is simply a way for 
new Carbon Consumers to get permission to aggrivate the problem while 
paying someone else to neutralize their problem.

If there was a worldwide tax on ALL fossil carbon consumption, AND if 
all these monies went to "buying charcoal for burial," then what you 
describe would work.

Best wishes,

Kevin