<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for A factor of 3.67 makes a big difference when discussing climate]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Sam Wells http://www.grist.org/article/the-biggest-source-of-mistakes-carbon-vs-carbon-dioxide/ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:50:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-biggest-source-of-mistakes-carbon-vs-carbon-dioxide/1 It gets worse than that ...

Many inventories report individual species such as CO2, CH4 (methane), and N20 (nitrous). However, one can also compute Global Warming Potential (GWP) by combining them together. So CO2 has a GWP of 1 but methane has 62 times the warming potential (20-year lifetime); N20 can be 275x.  These are included in the IPCC and EPA protocols and are very frustrating sometimes, a source of confusion as well. Some are pre-adjusted and some are not. Obviously, with N20 there is no carbon equivalent ... haha! -sam

Onward through the fog

]]> It gets worse than that ...

Many inventories report individual species such as CO2, CH4 (methane), and N20 (nitrous). However, one can also compute Global Warming Potential (GWP) by combining them together. So CO2 has a GWP of 1 but methane has 62 times the warming potential (20-year lifetime); N20 can be 275x.  These are included in the IPCC and EPA protocols and are very frustrating sometimes, a source of confusion as well. Some are pre-adjusted and some are not. Obviously, with N20 there is no carbon equivalent ... haha! -sam

Onward through the fog

]]> Comment #2 by Pangolin http://www.grist.org/article/the-biggest-source-of-mistakes-carbon-vs-carbon-dioxide/ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:28:03 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-biggest-source-of-mistakes-carbon-vs-carbon-dioxide/2 Carbon is the problem

The main source of GHG's is coal. Anthracite is 80% carbon by weight so that you can establish carbon equivalency.

1 gallon gasoline (burned)= 19.6 lbs CO2= 6.7 lbs. Anthracite coal (burned)= 5.3 lbs carbon (graphite)= ~ 6 lb. charcoal (buried and sequestered)

Since the carbon doesn't go back into the ground as CO2 (normally) but as calcium carbonate (CaCO3 in oyster shell) or mineralized carbon (charcoal) it's just easier to demonstrate the emissions cycle with charcoal. As the oceans acidify the geological norm for C sequestration as CACO3 decreases and limits the return of carbon to it's mineral form. That leaves weathering of rock (slow) or uptake by land based plant life (potentially faster).

So burial of that 6 lbs of biomass charcoal (biochar) is going to be our best shot for sequestering carbon outside of the living biosphere.

As an added advantage biochar added to soil has been demonstrated to limit the release of NO3 from agricultural soils. As this is the most potent, commonly released, greenhouse gas  present with every use of nitrate fertilizers, biochar (that charcoal stuff again) provides a sequestration bonus.

If anyone has a better or more universally available method of sequestering carbon than burial of biochar please let us all know. The minimal required tools are plants, a stone ax and a digging stick. Metal tools could be used as available but aren't really necessary.

Our alternative is demonstrating the need to sequester a colorless, odorless, invisible and toxic (when concentrated) gas. Good luck with that.

Put the Carbon Back

]]> Carbon is the problem

The main source of GHG's is coal. Anthracite is 80% carbon by weight so that you can establish carbon equivalency.

1 gallon gasoline (burned)= 19.6 lbs CO2= 6.7 lbs. Anthracite coal (burned)= 5.3 lbs carbon (graphite)= ~ 6 lb. charcoal (buried and sequestered)

Since the carbon doesn't go back into the ground as CO2 (normally) but as calcium carbonate (CaCO3 in oyster shell) or mineralized carbon (charcoal) it's just easier to demonstrate the emissions cycle with charcoal. As the oceans acidify the geological norm for C sequestration as CACO3 decreases and limits the return of carbon to it's mineral form. That leaves weathering of rock (slow) or uptake by land based plant life (potentially faster).

So burial of that 6 lbs of biomass charcoal (biochar) is going to be our best shot for sequestering carbon outside of the living biosphere.

As an added advantage biochar added to soil has been demonstrated to limit the release of NO3 from agricultural soils. As this is the most potent, commonly released, greenhouse gas  present with every use of nitrate fertilizers, biochar (that charcoal stuff again) provides a sequestration bonus.

If anyone has a better or more universally available method of sequestering carbon than burial of biochar please let us all know. The minimal required tools are plants, a stone ax and a digging stick. Metal tools could be used as available but aren't really necessary.

Our alternative is demonstrating the need to sequester a colorless, odorless, invisible and toxic (when concentrated) gas. Good luck with that.

Put the Carbon Back

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