permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

At 01:46 PM 12/2/02 -0800, you wrote:
> The problem with the carbon-in-soils equation from a human perspective is 
> that we didn't evolve on this planet in an ecosystem where all that carbon 
> was held in the soil. All that carbon was locked up deep down in the rock. 
> For tens to hundreds of millions of years.
>
> In the course of little more than 150 years, we have lifted it out of the 
> earth's crust and put it into the atmosphere.

This is a good analisys of the problem, but I think we can still 
aggressively pursue sequestering of C in soils (and oceanic carbon 
sinks).  we know it's good for the soil, we know how to do it, and we know 
people will still be burning fossil fuels for the forseable future.  Why 
not take what we can from a bad situation and move things in the right 
direction.
M


Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM