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Invititation to the Media - Soils as carbon sinks-a breathing space in the race against global warming?
June 26, 2002Can we use land carbon sinks as a way to buy time for the restructuring of our energy generation?
"We estimate soil carbon sinks could mitigate 8% of the EU`s emissions if major changes were made in land use and agricultural management ," says Professor David Powlson of IACR Rothamsted. However;
How many of the land-use options are practicable?
How can we tell if someone is cheating on their commitments when changes in soil carbon only become apparent after 20 years (the Kyoto protocol accounting period is 5 years)?
. How permanent can such sinks be?
What do we need to change about our land management in order to maximise them?
What opportunities does CAP reform and the Curry report offer for increased sequestration in arable agriculture?
These will be some of the questions debated at an international meeting, "Soils as carbon sinks: Opportunities and limitations" hosted by the BSSS (British Society of Soil Science) on Friday 28th June. The meeting will also showcase the latest predictions on global warming, including the warning by Dr Peter Cox (Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction) that the Amazon is to get drier.
IACR Rothamsted
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