[Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kevin,

You say,

the agricultural benefits it creates. The "diffusing arguments" I refer 
to would be along the lines of:
"We have to wait until Carbon Credits are in place..."
"We have to wait until we determine what the correct "Benefit 
Multiplier" is determined..."
"We have to wait until we can show that TP will actually reduce Global 
Warming..."
etc....

I say to those "arguments", "No need to wait ..."  Now, your "arguments" against using "Neo Terra Preta" as a carbon sink have been "diffused".  You don't need to depend on "carbon credits" to make TP do all the things you want TP to do for you and your land.  You can sell it entirely and only as an "agricultural practice improvement".

But, you have not presented an argument, "diffusive" or otherwise against the fact that when you put charcoal into soil (a.k.a. "Neo Terra Preta" style), for whatever reason you wanted to, that the carbon in that soil came from the atmosphere, and will stay at or above that level for a very long time.  You will have sequestered carbon.  If you can't collect a "carbon credit" payment for doing that, so what?!  You think  that you will benefit alone from the soil improvements.  I think you likely will benefit for that reason too.  I also think that by doing so, you will have given the world some benefit in terms of reducing atmospheric CO2 levels.

Now what?  Who ever tied "Terra Preta" and "carbon credits" together in an "if and only if" fashion?  You could have one or the other or both as far as I can tell.  Both is the most likely, in my opinion.  But, again, making TP soils does not have to wait for earning "carbon credits".  For all we know, making TP might some day be paid in arrears as a carbon sink (as long as you made it since the Kyoto Protocol was ratified).

SKB

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