[Terrapreta] Carbon emissions show sharp rise

[Frank Teuton]

Sean wrote:


"You are absolutely right.  Depleting biological reservoirs of carbon, like standing forests and/or other perennial growing biomass could create problems, like biodiversity decline, and such."

No, you don't get it. Depleting these reservoirs has caused and is causing huge problems, such as great species extinctions, soil erosion, dust bowls, and yes, yes, and indeed yes, global warming due to CO2. A large part of anthropogenic CO2 increase is due to land use issues like deforestation and soil organic matter losses from tillage. Finding ways to restore these CO2 reservoirs is an important component of an overall strategy to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.

That said, I see no reason not to make wood charcoal from mature forest materials that are sustainably harvested and do not deplete important niches such as rotting logs, standing dead trees, etc.

Nor do I see an innate problem with using peat which is being deposited much faster than it is being harvested in Canada, and which is many fewer transport miles from me than coir, which in my opinion ought to be left in the tropics where the soils are in great need of OM. OTOH, wiping out declining peat bogs in Europe for peat for fuel or soil amendments strikes me as a really bad idea.

It's a balance thing, eh? More than that, it is also about knowing how to take sustainably from natural systems.

We've discussed a bit of grazing issues here. Those familiar with the works of Andre Voisin understand the basic principle of establishing root reserves and allowing grass to restore those reserves between grazings. Done properly, increased grass productivity is obtained. Similarly, forests can be managed so as to obtain lumber and wood while maintaining productivity; some of this material could be diverted for biofuel/biochar purposes.

Much depends on the skills of the managers of such systems.


Frank Teuton
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