I now have got to view for the second time the astonishing video that Politicacenter encouraged me to search. I highly recommend this article and video.......... He may not admit it.... but in my opinion, this is an answer that is one thousand to ten thousand percent better than a carbon tax or cap and trade system proposed by Mr. Al Gore! https://permaculturenews.org/2012/1...ack-where-it-belongs-in-the-earth-tedx-video/ TONY LOVELL ON SOIL CARBON: PUTTING CARBON BACK WHERE IT BELONGS – IN THE EARTH (TEDX VIDEO)
Every little bit helps. Trees definitely sequester CO2. However, humans (and animals) are producing so much CO2, that it's effect is not enough, in and of itself. Here's a link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/29/planting-trees-climate-change In 2000, the IPCC gathered the available evidence for a special report which concluded that tree-planting could sequester (remove from the atmosphere) around 1.1–1.6 GT of CO2 per year. That compares to total global greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 50 GT of CO2 in 2004. Still a great thing to do though. Also - plant a garden. Besides providing the greenery that absorbs the CO2, you won't be purchasing as much food that is shipped across the country.
Planting trees isn't enough but the ONLY way to contain enough carbon to meet the model projections and contain it to 2°C would require that we engage in massive sinking programs (which we won't). As I have said all along, moving to plant-based diets would remove more CO2 than all the solar panels we could produce and install but the AGW cultists are afraid to take on Big Beef because they know that will be the end of their support. They won't go after halocarbons because people like their air conditioning and fridges and those are close to 10% of humans alleged contributions to Global warming. Nope. Let's spend billions on electric cars.
I hear you. I went vegetarian in the early '90s, and never looked back. I love it. I was on the Board of the Vegetarian Society of Colorado, a very active group. I participated in the Beyond Beef campaign, Earth Day celebrations, and many other tabling events. I often spoke on the topic. We had a lot of success in convincing people to think about their dietary choices. However, throughout all of this, I must say, that it's a hard sell. My sister became vegetarian, and another sister and her family cut back substantially on their meat. Parents - no, brother - no, etc, etc. It's especially hard to convince healthy people. There are a lot of good books on the subject, but most people won't read them, and don't want to think about it.
I am not meat free but I am very meat reduced. I couldn't even tell you the last time I ate a steak and I despise chicken. Most of my meat is pork and even with that it doesn't take a lot to make me feel like there is meat on the plate without there being much at all. That said, I don't think the climate models are close to right as far as future projections, but if they are, nature will take care of ridding itself of a huge chunk of humanity in fairly short order in the grand scheme of things.
I cant seem to find any hard data on it, but I wonder how much carbon was emitted by deer, elk, moose and (the big one) buffalo hundreds of years ago when the lands of the earth were teeming with them. It seems likely that the carbon output from cattle farming wouldnt be much higher than other wild free range herd animals from back then. Unless, of course, cattle simply cause more carbon emission than other similar animals, in which case all we have to do is phase out cattle for 'beefallo' or another similarly delicious grazing animal that isnt as environmentally impacting.
This sure reminds me of what former Atheist Howard Storm was shown about the economy of America in the year 2185. http://www.near-death.com/experiences/notable/howard-storm.html#a04
I think you are correct in citing the fact that there have always been emitters of methane (another greenhouse gas). Even with all the livestock today, methane is only 15% of the total greenhouse gases. CO2 is 50%.
I don't trust vegetarians, for one they are starting to complain about the high price of rabbit food if we don't allow illegals being paid slave wages to harvest their crops and for two when they show me statistics that vegetarians live to 300 years maybe I would listen .. .
Something else I dont hear much about- photosynthetic algae. It produces 70-80% of the worlds oxygen and since its getting that oxygen from CO2, it stands to reason that its likely (by a wide margin) the biggest reducer of CO2 on the planet. Most of the photosynthetic algae is in the ocean... precisely the same place that most of our pollutants end up. CO2 isnt going to cause the algae to die, but most of our other pollutants WILL and THAT will cause CO2 to skyrocket (and O2 to drop...) as there is less algae to process it. The thing that gets me is that while the US and other 'modern' nations make laws to reduce pretty much all emissions except CO2 (modern coal plants emit NOTHING but CO2), places like China and India dont filter their industry at all- it (mercury, sulfer, etc) all goes into the environment, eventually collecting in the oceans and probably reducing the algae. And THEN folks come along saying that WE (the US and other modern nations) need to reduce our CO2 output, which drives more industry to China and India, which not only puts THE SAME amount of CO2 into the environment, but drastically increases the other pollutants they dont filter that will kill the algae processing the CO2, effectively reversing any benefit there might have been. It just doesnt make any sense.
I read Howard Storm's book, My Descent Into Death, several years ago. It was actually published by Ms. Anne Rice, the author of the Vampire Lestat series. Here is a quotation from the book that I felt could help Christians like Howard and Orthodox Jews to come closer together on at least some issues.
