Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[<activism98201@verizon.net>]

Thanks for the article Dan.

This is exactly what I've been learning.

The most optimistic numbers are that agrofuels* would result in a reduction 
of 13%, but this, aside from the N2O issue, misses the issue of CO2 releases 
from opening up new crop lands.  Much of this land clearing activity isn't 
choked up to the agrofuels business, as the agrofuels business takes over 
existing cleared lands, pushing livestock and other operations into areas 
that need to be cleared.

According to a recent report from GRAIN.org agriculture contributes 14% to 
overall emissions, while activities associated with land clearing amount to 
18%: all of transportation results in a 14% slice.  It should be pretty 
clear, then, that moving toward more large-scale agricultural activities will 
only exacerbate the problem.


* GRAIN.org promotes the term agrofuels over biofuels, as it more clearly 
indicates that this is an agricultural activity (teaming big AG with big 
energy companies [as well as chemical companies]).


“The chief cause of problems is solutions.” - Eric Sevareid


-Mark Nagel
Everett, WA


=====================
From: Dan Conine <dconine@bertramwireless.com>

http://www.physorg.com/news109581631.html

Biofuels could increase global warming with laughing gas, says Nobel 
prize-winning chemist Discussion at PhysOrgForum
Growing and burning many biofuel crops may actually raise, rather than 
lower, greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the conclusion of a new study 
led by Nobel prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen, best known for his work 
on the ozone layer.

[snop]