[Terrapreta] "Giving Up On Two Degrees"

[Michael Bailes]

On 04/05/07, Larry Williams <lwilliams at nas.com> wrote:
>
> Tom and all:
>
> y, WA, soils is not proven till we know more of the process. Some local
> soils are poor growing soils for specific plants that might be improved. I
> digress from my greater concern.
>

All your post is true . Why don't you test WA soils?
Why are they so different? how much carbon do they contain?
It is right to be scared about GW
(Don't go to a horror movie read "The Weather Makers" by Australian of the
year Tim Flannery)

The second aspect that this list has discussed relates to the seque
>
> My experiences with water, soil, plants and wildlife tell me that change
> is on us even if we act on an emergency basis.
> Are there many scientific papers that suggest the sequestration of black
> carbon in the soil profile can have a significant impact on atmospheric
> carbon?
>

The short answer is NO. Firstly you need to get a significant amount of
bio-mass converted to charcoal (carbon) and even then climate modeling is
too imprecise a science to tell us much more than "we are all doomed and
going to die!"
There is not even a good model to tell us what is going to happen NOW when
the Arctic ice sheet has not frozen this year.(according to Norwegian
studies)
But Charcoal sequestration looks good doesn't it?
Go out and buy 50K of charcoal at 70-100% carbon bash it into tiny bits bury
it in your backyard.(100-1000grams per metre) Watch pH and check you char
does not contain a lot of ash.
The chances are you have sequestered a stack of carbon (sorry the sums elude
me).
Does it matter? that your plants grow 400% better? or you save 17-20% water?
and 50% over two years of fertiliser?
Does it? What matters (if you charcoal has been made well) is that you
PERSONALLY, without reference to anyone else, have struck a blow against
global warming
 When your neighbor looks over your fence next year and asks why your plants
are growing better than his. You might even start a grass roots (literally
and figuratively!:)) reaction in your street.

There are very few ways of cooling the planet (See Hypography forum "DIY
Planet Cooling") for a discussion of these.

I have a lot of thoughts about this as a result of the IAI conference but
basically iI believe -at the moment-it is up to us to make TP a grass roots,
personally  empowering movement. I will post more on this soon

There are many ways for a goal to fail and far fewer ways to succeed. Ah!
> The search for the critical path-------Larry
>

Amen brother
-- 
Michael Bailes.
"Human beings,
who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of
others,
are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See"
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