OK, I'll jump in about here. I agree with PER 100%: selling the credits just allowa the emitters to emit, and gives them bragging rights to sway the blind public eye that they really give a $h!t about the environment.
I agree with you grassfarmer that we are not doing enough as landowners nationally or globally to improve soil health and organic matter content, but I'll give you some food for thought.
For agrument's sake, let's say for the next 10 years down the road, you're getting $45/acre for carbon credits. It doesn't take much land to amount to a sizeable income from the practice. After even a couple of years of this I can see people becoming dependant on the relationship, and so in theory, you basically train farmers to like the fossil fuel industry.
If they're paying you thousands/year for your practices, just so the carpet they sweep their mismanagment under turns from black to green, would you really want them to ever clean up their act? Would you want to see green energy sources like turbines promoted in your area? Remember, now that you're a carbon credit junkie, if the oil companies go, so does your credit cheque.
I know that better soil health is the key to all life on our planet, and we all need to be doing better jobs of improveing ours on our own farms. I believe Holistic Management is the best system for doing so, and from that perspective, I absolutely cannot agree with selling carbon credits. Holistic Management is about addressing the root cause of the problem, not treating the symptoms. And by giving the oil companies a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card", we are treating a symptom. The root cause of the problem is that they are producing dirty energy - period. They know they could be producing green energy by several different means, but they choose not to. Should their way of business be painted in a prettier picture because they can "buy" these credits? I don't think so. Whether they pay us or not, the bottom line is, they are still polluting our environment, and that should stop. That is a truth that I just don't think can be argued.
I agree with you grassfarmer that we are not doing enough as landowners nationally or globally to improve soil health and organic matter content, but I'll give you some food for thought.
For agrument's sake, let's say for the next 10 years down the road, you're getting $45/acre for carbon credits. It doesn't take much land to amount to a sizeable income from the practice. After even a couple of years of this I can see people becoming dependant on the relationship, and so in theory, you basically train farmers to like the fossil fuel industry.
If they're paying you thousands/year for your practices, just so the carpet they sweep their mismanagment under turns from black to green, would you really want them to ever clean up their act? Would you want to see green energy sources like turbines promoted in your area? Remember, now that you're a carbon credit junkie, if the oil companies go, so does your credit cheque.
I know that better soil health is the key to all life on our planet, and we all need to be doing better jobs of improveing ours on our own farms. I believe Holistic Management is the best system for doing so, and from that perspective, I absolutely cannot agree with selling carbon credits. Holistic Management is about addressing the root cause of the problem, not treating the symptoms. And by giving the oil companies a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card", we are treating a symptom. The root cause of the problem is that they are producing dirty energy - period. They know they could be producing green energy by several different means, but they choose not to. Should their way of business be painted in a prettier picture because they can "buy" these credits? I don't think so. Whether they pay us or not, the bottom line is, they are still polluting our environment, and that should stop. That is a truth that I just don't think can be argued.
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