[Terrapreta] Dinosaur Carbon

[MFH]

Tom

 

a)       I suppose to answer the first question we'd need to know
atmospheric carbon levels when oil was made between 10 and 160 million years
ago. However conventional wisdom is that the oil was formed from marine
plants and animals and not terrestrial.

b)       It's a bit of a myth that increasing Co2 levels will enhance plant
growth. Co2 is only one of the many factors influencing rate of growth -
think sunlight, water, nitrogen, P, K, trace elements and temperature
amongst the rest. Increasing any one of these will not necessarily improve
growth if any one or more of the others are in limited supply. In closed
nursery conditions increasing Co2 only works if lots of other requirements
are also increased.

 

Another puzzle is the level of O2. The Gaia Theory postulates that this
level has been around 21% for a very long time and that the Earth has
various adjusting mechanisms that have resulted in this stability. From what
I understand if O2 was increased only by 2% a fire in a dripping wet
rainforest would burn until all the fuelwood was gone. And if it was only 2%
lower then we'd perish. Maybe we're also heading there. The Australian
CSIRO's figures show that O2 levels have dropped 0.03% in the last 20 years.
Makes sense - can't have more Co2 without using more O2.

 

M

 

 

  _____  

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Tom Miles
Sent: Sunday, 20 April 2008 3:02 PM
To: 'Terra Preta'
Subject: [Terrapreta] Dinosaur Carbon

 

If the carbon that was converted to oil and coal was once part of vegetation
above ground why does it create a problem to bring it out of the ground now?
Isn't it all part of the same inventory? Was there more vegetation in
prehistoric times? Why can't "dinosaur" carbon just create more vegetation
when it is oxidized?

 

Tom

 

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