Carbon Emissions - Solution?

[baldy01]

We currently have two problems. Carbon emissions and the common agricultural policy wasting money on paying farmers to do nothing. Why has it not occured to anyone to use a combined solution?

It is estimated that one acre of forest can remove and store about 19,000 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year

14 million acres of prime farmland - an areas the size of the West Midlands - is ‘set aside’, in the UK alone

14000000 * 19,000 = 266,000,000,000lbs or 120,655,570 metric tons of Carbon can be absorbed per year by planting set-aside land with tree's.
That is one quarter of the 550 odd millions tons of carbon emitted by the UK every year. This is a massive improvement on the Governments current targets and costs nothing because we pay farmers not to farm that land anyway. Simply change the terms of the CAP to say that if you still want your money you will have to run a "carbon farm" by planting tree's.

If this idea were extended to all of the european set-aside the benefits would be massive. We would cut our emissions massively and at the same stroke do away with the (quite valid) objection to paying farmers to do nothing. We would be paying them to save the planet. Total extra cost = 0.

I'm looking for holes in this idea, I suspect this is the perfect place to find them........

 

[Moz]

baldy01
a good idea an the timber produced would be a good benefit ....

 

[WoodYouLike]

Already in practise in The Netherlands for over 30 years: Dutch Oak forests = Dutch Oak flooring

 

[joe-90]

Already in practise in The Netherlands for over 30 years: Dutch Oak forests = Dutch Oak flooring

Oak takes much longer than that to become harvestable.

 

[keyplayer]

I think wyl meant:

Dutch Pine forests = Dutch Oak flooring.

(if it's anything like their tomato farming. And dutch weed's a bit suspect come to think of it, God knows what they do to that)

 

[Richardp]

New fuel station opens on isles of scilly derv £114.0 petrol £110.3 that should cut the Carbon emissions .

 

[Thermo]

dont need to worry. More carbon = global warming = less heating = less carbon emissions!

 

[empip]

Be difficult to 'switch' set aside land back into food production I guess...
But I think almost any idea is better than using the old blunt tax instrument... HMG have achieved very little by throwing money at problems, at least the old forestry idea would be a positive move ...
Blimey, they could have us living (back) in the trees sooner rather than later .. Tree houses for all - flat pax.

 

[WoodYouLike]

I think wyl meant:

Dutch Pine forests = Dutch Oak flooring.

No, honestly. There are lots of new Oak forests in The Netherlands, many are even FSC and are harvested starting with trees of 30 years old.

 

[keyplayer]

There are lots of new Oak forests in The Netherlands, many are even FSC and are harvested starting with trees of 30 years old.

Interesting. (FSC?) Do you happen to know which has absorbed more carbon, 30 yr old pine or 30 yr old oak?

 

[WoodYouLike]

There are lots of new Oak forests in The Netherlands, many are even FSC and are harvested starting with trees of 30 years old.

Interesting. (FSC?) Do you happen to know which has absorbed more carbon, 30 yr old pine or 30 yr old oak?

FSC= Forest Stewartship Council, sustainable forests - not only for tropical rainforests

No, sorry Keyplayer, don't know about that I'm afraid. My 'gut-feeling' would be Oak, more and larger leaves ?

 

[Sider]

baldy01 wrote

14 million acres of prime farmland

Yep. And its all needed for beef production.
I construct the large tanks that hold the waste excretement of the animals that people eat.
Billions of gallons of the stuff.
When the farmer goes in to mix this stuff its time to stand clear. Have seen animals been gased to death sometimes.
Until people stop eating meat then this practise will continue.
The EU allocated millions for the construction of these tanks at the beginning of this year and I have reaped the financial benefits I must admit, so long may it continue.

 

[keyplayer]

I construct the large tanks that hold the waste excretement of the animals that people eat.
Billions of gallons of the stuff.
When the farmer goes in to mix this stuff its time to stand clear. ...........................................................Until people stop eating meat then this practise will continue.

Ah, I see you work in the gravy granule industry.

 

[tim west]

We could use pigeons to post on this forum ok it may take a week to get your post up and all the replies back but wouldn't your conscience be happy in the knowledge that we were all doing our bit? Must run the old 4x4 up to the local pigeon farm, to investigate