The word “farming” conjures up an image of a farmer toiling away on a green landscape to feed the world. However, carbon farming brings about a fresh change to our general perceptions. This kind of farming will produce soil that can store carbon dioxide. Aiming to rebuild lost wetlands that will include rich peat soils to store CO2, at present this idea is being investigated by scientists at the US Geological Survey and UC Davis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Experiments revealed that up to 25 metric tons of CO2 can be stored annually in one acre of peat.
Though it would take a whole lot of acreage, the scientists state that if California restored all the subsided land in the Delta and made them “carbon farms,” the land could store enough carbon to equate trading all the SUVs in the state for hybrids.
But such a concept is not all green and safe yet, as it is believed that the rebuilt wetlands could release nitrous oxide and methane, greenhouse gases that are more dangerous than CO2. There is also a possibility of producing methylmercury, a neurotoxin that is toxic to mammals.
So, there’s still going to be some time before the scientists can give a green light to CO2 farming.
Via Ecogeek
