[Terrapreta] Ice-age anyone?

Sun Apr 27 12:52:50 CDT 2008

Ron (and all)-------If there is any validity to this article,  
"Melting Methane, A Storehouse of Greenhouse...", we have a problem  
of the first order. This has been my worst fear with greenhouse gas  
emissions.

We should have a better idea of the situation by the end of this  
summer, 2008, as to what is happening to the temperature of the  
waters off the Siberian coastline. I have seen NASA temperature maps  
of the arctic coastline indicating that there has been a significant  
increase in temperature of up to 5 degrees C on the Arctic coastline.  
I didn't save those pictures and am unable to find them again.

A portion of this list, I subscribe to this thought, is very  
interested in moving forward with the production of charcoal for use  
on agricultural land. It seems that the dual characteristics of  
burying charcoal, the potential for a significant increase in plant  
growth and the sequestration of carbon, are inseparable. If charcoal  
is, as in my experience, able to become reservoir for microbes and  
nutrients then the soil accumulates carbon in a greater amount than  
the charcoal that was buried. It's an added bonus for storing  
atmospheric carbon in the form of charcoal. One example of this event  
occurs with the production of glomalin, see: "Glomalin: Hiding Place  
for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon".

In my work, I find buried charcoal in compacted soils where there are  
no evidence of microbial activity or root association. Buried  
charcoal needs to be placed in a good growing situation. It is absurd  
to consider dumping charcoal down a mine shaft as a solution for  
sequestration unless it holds toxins. Even then there are not enough  
mine shafts to hold a significant amount of charcoal.

We may be forced to bury charcoal very soon, regardless if our  
individual growing techniques towards achieving Terra Preta nova work  
or not. I have had superb growth in one test plot. It seems that we  
need to increase the "production momentum" for making charcoal less  
we fail to match the release of gas hydrates (methane) from ocean  
deposits. We are in a race to see if we can offset the release of  
greenhouse gases with the burial of charcoal in soils that can grow  
food.

Meditation does help to settle the nerves when I read an article like  
"Melting Methane...".

Do notice the moments of pleasure and joy in each daily-------Larry

Background References:
Gas (Methane) Hydrates -- A New Frontier (Sept 1992)
@  http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/gas-hydrates/title.html

Methane Explosion Warmed the Prehistoric Earth, Possible Again (Dec  
10 2001)
@ http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20011212methane.html

-------------------

April 17, 2008

MELTING METHANE
A Storehouse of Greenhouse Gases Is Opening in Siberia

By Volker Mrasek
Researchers have found alarming evidence that the frozen Arctic floor  
has started to thaw and release long-stored methane gas. The results  
could be a catastrophic warming of the earth, since methane is a far  
more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. But can the methane  
also be used as fuel?

---------snip----------

--------------------------------
On Apr 27, 2008, at 2:35 AM, Ron Larson wrote:

> To the Denier-type Terra Preta List Members (those who believe in  
> global warming, read on only for your education):
>
>     1.  Kevin last night said:  I am saying that there is a valid  
> basis to question some of the data. (See below.) and then said: For  
> balance, see:
> http://climatescience.blogspot.com/2007/11/ipcc-dissent-by-roger- 
> helmer-mep.html When you have both sides of the story, chances are  
> you can have a better understanding of the problem.
>     There were no other references cited, but I apparently missed  
> two earlier citations from Kevin. I will not now go back to either,  
> unless there is a request I do so.
>
>     2.  I have visited maybe 20-30 such sites.  This citation led  
> me to the least scientific denier-site I have found yet.  Roger  
> Helmer is a Member of the European Parliament, with a background in  
> business, none that I could see to qualify him on global warming  
> (see http://www.rogerhelmer.com/).  The above site contains a short  
> warming-denier letter from Helmer, with nothing scientific in it.    
> I did not find anything scientific on the climatescience site.
>
>     3.  The Helmer site showed me that he is the honorary chair of  
> the The Freedom Association, which covers a number of Conservative  
> Party causes and a small amount on climate from the warming-denier  
> perspective.  Going there, I found one 3-page fact sheet (http:// 
> www.tfa.net/pdfs/cc001.pdf  ) on climate  -  no references, no  
> author.  The last two sentences (which are typical) state: -  
> Statistically, global temperatures have been static or falling  
> since 1998.  -Between 2003 and 2005 the oceans suddenly cooled,  
> losing 20% of the heat they had gained in the previous 50 years.
>
>    4.   I ask that warming-deniers on this list send me any source  
> which you feel scientifically substantiates either of these last  
> two sentences.  Repeating the claim won't count as scientific.
>
>   5.    This web-exercise was a perfect example of this list's big  
> lie problem (which lie I am not attributing to Kevin).  I remain  
> hopeful that I can get something serious to debate.
>
>
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