A New York Times story highlights new studies and methods of farming that could increase the carbon offset in ranching grasslands.
Unlike trees, grasses don’t shed their leaves at the end of the growing season; they depend on animals for defoliation and the recycling of nutrients. If the ruminants move like wild buffalo, in dense herds, never staying in one place for too long, the land benefits from the momentary disturbance. Carbon, the building block of life, is constantly flowing from the atmosphere to plants into animals and then back into the atmosphere. Plants could be deliberately used to pull carbon out of the sky. They remove carbon from the atmosphere already, require no additional power and grow essentially free.
Compost mixed with manure could also build up the carbon in the soil. A relatively small annual increase in soil carbon could, on a large-enough scale, have a substantial impact.
Studies continue as there is no pat or easy answer. Ultimately, healthier farming methods make for healthier soil and a healthier planet.
Unlike trees, grasses don’t shed their leaves at the end of the growing season; they depend on animals for defoliation and the recycling of nutrients. If the ruminants move like wild buffalo, in dense herds, never staying in one place for too long, the land benefits from the momentary disturbance. Carbon, the building block of life, is constantly flowing from the atmosphere to plants into animals and then back into the atmosphere. Plants could be deliberately used to pull carbon out of the sky. They remove carbon from the atmosphere already, require no additional power and grow essentially free.
Compost mixed with manure could also build up the carbon in the soil. A relatively small annual increase in soil carbon could, on a large-enough scale, have a substantial impact.
Studies continue as there is no pat or easy answer. Ultimately, healthier farming methods make for healthier soil and a healthier planet.
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