Comments on: One Shot Left http://permaculture.org.au/2008/11/26/one-shot-left/ Permaculture News, Commentary and Worldwide Projects. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:36:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lucario http://permaculture.org.au/2008/11/26/one-shot-left/#comment-28451 Lucario Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:02:33 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=897#comment-28451 Dire. Does my head in to stay focussed on the imminence of planetary meltdown. Vital to motivating action though. If only most people could digest the heavy facts in a constructive, change making way. I think denial, humanity's standard modus operandi, will factor less and less. It is about survival after all. And at the end of the day, Earth has a long history and future with or without Homo sapiens. However, it is the innocent life, human and otherwise, that makes the challenge worth fighting for. Would love to hear (among many other options) a strategic assessment of the potential of biochar sequestration - combining the greening of agriculture (intense soil rehabilitation) with broadacre carbon sink creation. The story of 'terra preta' has a modern phase, that is a vital plank in stabilising agriculture and climate. Simply planting trees is not enough. Stable soil carbon at depths up to 50+cm are considered permanent sinks (500 years plus) with the benefits to cultivation that are simply astounding. See Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University, Lukas Van Zweiten of NSW Dept. Primary Industries, and many others (web search 'Terra Preta' or 'biochar'). Implementation is the key. As is strategic plant selection. Perhaps fast growing woody weeds (major problems eg.Tagastate etc) cool burnt over large areas could be converted into assets... I am still processing the potential of 'Black Gold' as a means of rehabilitating landscapes and mitigating climate change (and even money earning potential necessary for any serious roll-out). Would appreciate comments. Dire. Does my head in to stay focussed on the imminence of planetary meltdown. Vital to motivating action though. If only most people could digest the heavy facts in a constructive, change making way. I think denial, humanity’s standard modus operandi, will factor less and less. It is about survival after all. And at the end of the day, Earth has a long history and future with or without Homo sapiens. However, it is the innocent life, human and otherwise, that makes the challenge worth fighting for.

Would love to hear (among many other options) a strategic assessment of the potential of biochar sequestration – combining the greening of agriculture (intense soil rehabilitation) with broadacre carbon sink creation. The story of ‘terra preta’ has a modern phase, that is a vital plank in stabilising agriculture and climate. Simply planting trees is not enough. Stable soil carbon at depths up to 50+cm are considered permanent sinks (500 years plus) with the benefits to cultivation that are simply astounding. See Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University, Lukas Van Zweiten of NSW Dept. Primary Industries, and many others (web search ‘Terra Preta’ or ‘biochar’).

Implementation is the key. As is strategic plant selection. Perhaps fast growing woody weeds (major problems eg.Tagastate etc) cool burnt over large areas could be converted into assets… I am still processing the potential of ‘Black Gold’ as a means of rehabilitating landscapes and mitigating climate change (and even money earning potential necessary for any serious roll-out). Would appreciate comments.

]]> By: Tim Auld http://permaculture.org.au/2008/11/26/one-shot-left/#comment-28438 Tim Auld Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:10:57 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=897#comment-28438 By building up soils and biomass using local agriculture, reforestation and 'greening the desert', we reduce our GHG emissions and vulnerability to energy and food shortages. We also *consume* CO2 from the atmosphere which was previously emitted. This point is lost in many of these discussions on climate change. What effective rate of CO2 emission cuts - and beyond - are achievable when that is taken into account? By building up soils and biomass using local agriculture, reforestation and ‘greening the desert’, we reduce our GHG emissions and vulnerability to energy and food shortages. We also *consume* CO2 from the atmosphere which was previously emitted. This point is lost in many of these discussions on climate change. What effective rate of CO2 emission cuts – and beyond – are achievable when that is taken into account?

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