[Terrapreta] Ponder the Maunder

[lou gold]

Hi Mark,

It will make it simple.

I also am concerned about increasing soil productivity. I notice soil
productivity was often lost because best practices were not the most
profitable practices. So I am looking for a way to finance a very large
investment in returning carbon to the soil. I believe that the link to
global warming may be the necessary link to mobilize political will for such
an investment. I see that the mid-west farm lobby already successfully used
this argument to rationalize corn ethanol. I don't like this way so I (we
really) am trying to offer a better carbon negative way that will both
improve soil fertility and and sequester carbon.

Do you feel that I'm preaching?

lou

On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 2:23 PM, Mark Ludlow <mark at ludlow.com> wrote:

>  Hi Lou,
>
>
>
> I can't speak for others, but I believe, personally, that framing the
> discussion around carbon sequestration is a big mistake. Even today, the
> world is experiencing rapidly escalating food prices and the importance of
> making agriculture more sustainable and productive may well affect more
> people in this century than GHG.
>
>
>
> My personal interest is sparked by the notion that char adds to or at
> least helps to maintain soil fertility. It also will sequester carbon and it
> may also immobilize certain toxic substances; all positives, but all
> secondary to the improvement of soil fertility and the virtual rebuilding of
> soils in many areas of the world.
>
>
>
> The discussion of late, seeming to imply some form of New World Order as a
> solution for Global Warming, makes me at least a little nervous and I can
> see that it has a similar effect on at least a few others. Already, leaders
> of this way of viewing the future are informing members of the list what
> ideas are politically correct and which are anathematic. I don't remember
> being polled…
>
>
>
> If I want to be preached to, I'll try to find a preacher who's a snake
> handler, not just a snake oil salesman, if for no other reason than shear
> entertainment value. But actually, I would rather believe that every man is
> his own best preacher and that all of the jawboning, petty back-and-forth,
> and racing to gain the moral high ground does little to further the "cause"
> of Terra Preta.
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [mailto:
> terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] *On Behalf Of *lou gold
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:47 AM
> *To:* Jim Joyner
> *Cc:* Terra Preta
> *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] Ponder the Maunder
>
>
>
> Fair enough. I'll try to elaborate.
>
> Some of us believe that terra preta will make the world a better place.
> That is why I am on this forum. I have no hard evidence to prove that terra
> preta will make the world a better place but I have both feeling and faith
> that it will. If I doubted it or if I was skeptical I would not be here.
>
> I guess that I'm asking a parallel question of you because I know that
> there comes a time to put doubt aside and act. I *feel* that now is the
> time for terra preta and that the difference that makes the difference
> between now and other times (when we could not have cared less about terra
> preta) is our growing desire to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
>
> How does it work for you?
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 1:34 PM, Jim Joyner <jimstoy at dtccom.net> wrote:
>
> lou gold wrote:
>
>
>
>  lou gold wrote:
>
> Please excuse my directness but I want to ask a personal question. Do you
> think that we can make the world a better place through endless doubt?
>
> No, of course not.
>
>
> Ok. Now, what is the good positive thing that you believe in for making
> the world a better place?
>
> I guess I don't know what you are looking for. Basically, I eat when I'm
> hungry, sleep when I tired; raise my kids; grow my garden. What else is
> there?
>
> Not sure I have any such beliefs. We'll either get it right or we won't.
>
> Jim
>
>
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>
>
>
>
> --
> http://lougold.blogspot.com
> http://flickr.com/visionshare/sets
> http://youtube.com/my_videos
>



-- 
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