An Open Letter To Justin Trudeau - Re: Carbon Tax

[grassfarmer]

Yeah but TASFarms was scolding everyone for not knowing what carbon is, as if we all think carbon is causing climate change. It's a different animal too, which was my point.

[dykercaseih]

Grassy I gotta say if there was a button on this site to click so I wouldn't have to see your posts you would be the first on it.. Just not my type what so ever.. Annoying beyond belief.. Put you right there with this fog and rain for the month of October... Are you getting the point how much distaste that would be? lol

[biglentil]

Carbon isn't the problem, C02 is. If you think carbon and oxygen are harmless try sitting in your running truck in a sealed garage for a few hours and tell me how it

Hey Grassfarmer ever here of the term "carbon based life form." You, I, all life carbon based and Co2 is the most fundamental building block of life. Plants thrive on it especially around 1500ppm about 4 times the current level! One large volcanic eruption would release more Co2 than humans in the last 2000 years. The Co2 released beneficial earth greens up!

The very real threat to mankind is nuclear energy. Fukishima is single handidly destroying the entire Pacific ocean. Spewing hundreds of tons highly radioactive waste every day and no one has a clue how to stop it. Yet more nuclear is spouted as the solution to stop producing Co2. By supporting Co2 tax you are supporting the construction of a nuclear plant!!!! I for one am glad I live in a province that has zero nuclear reactors. Its Murpheys law they will f'up or the waste will leak.

[grassfarmer]

It's your lucky day Dyke. Go under your profile and there is a button there "add to ignore list". Sorry to have been a burden to you for so long especially with you participating here so much - 5 posts you've participated in - ever!!

[Hamloc]

Grassfarmer just read a really good editorial in the National post discussing the fact that there will be no carbon tax applied to the emissions from water reservoirs created by hydro damns. There is a great amount of GHG's emitted from the rotting biomass under the reservoir. So what most think is an emission free electricity source, not really. I thought it was very interesting

[grassfarmer]

That is interesting Hamloc, I wouldn't have thought reservoirs would have been any different than wetlands or sloughs in agricultural areas. The Quill lakes that are eating up farmland with higher water levels won't that be emitting in a similar fashion? I guess though that reservoirs aren't bad in perpetuity, only until such time as the organic matter underneath breaks down? At some point you'd think they would become the same as a natural lake of that size. Then you still need to take into account the GHG emissions from this versus a coal powered or other electric generating alternative. It is a very complicated matter to figure out all the pro's and con's around this whole topic.

[Hamloc]

Probably the most interesting new discovery of late is the ability to turn C02 into ethanol. Imagine the difference that could be made by employing carbon capture on a coal power plant and then turning that C02 into ethanol. If this technology is perfected imagine with all the coal fired plants in the world what could be done for the environment but unfortunately environmentalists will never support this imo. I think Canada's push to shut down coal will put us out of this game but if this can be done the USA will probably make it go. Will be interesting to watch.

[checking]

Underwater forestry could take care of most of the salvageable trees buried in valleys behind hydro dam constructions. BC alone has 5 billion board feet of it that could be recovered.

Mind you, a clear cutting operation wouldn't be acceptable to tree huggers.(Loss of forest fish habitat.)

Also, too much lost vegetable oil hydraulic fluid from saws would be an additional problem. Can't have fish tasting like canola.

[cottonpicken]

Do you ever read something you typed the day before and think,gee i really am losing my mind.

[Plowdown]

Ok, there comes a time when we need to step back and re-assess the way we do business. I think the time is now. A carbon tax is not designed to incent good behavior, it is to punish bad like your moms wooden spoon, and convince you to change your actions.
Yes Fuel and input production costs will increase and you had better believe that simplot and shell will pass those costs on to us. but we do have a way to offset the costs that for some reason no one is biting on grassfarmers notion that we're not all dammed.
We as primary producers are sitting on top of the best way to capture carbon, and fight climate change. SOIL. by implementing practices that increase our soil organic matter we increase soil carbon. Soil organic matter builds resilience in crop production systems as it aids in moisture retention (more soil moisture when its too dry, more available water capacity for when its too wet)
If I can decrease my Nitrogen fertilizer use by growing legume cover crops, and grazing them to maintain income during those years, I can dramatically increase my soil organic matter. At the same time, I break weed and disease cycles (reducing my long term dependence on chemicals), get cows out of feedlots, improve fertility, reduce subsequent fertilizer needs, and find a way to work with my neighbour (who will operate the grazing system) rather than competing with him for land resources.
Where is the downside?
Oh and another thing, as this strategy improves soil water retention, it will reduce the need for additional ditches, and the load on municipal infrastructure as fewer culverts and roads will wash out. wells will get a chance to recharge, there will be fewer problems with erosion and chemical/nurtient runoff.
Go ahead. Do your worst. Rather than whine about the fact that our curly haired PM is a hippie who will do little to serve our interests, why not take the opportunity to shift to a more sustainable system. Don't you think a carbon tax will lead to a carbon credit system where you can get some reward from operating your new Carbon fixing soil system?
-MB Farmer

[checking]

You can build all the carbon you want in your soils.

It just won't be recognized that you have contributed anything.

Concentrate on getting gasfarmer to realize that his cow herd is causing ocean levels to rise.

[Plowdown]

I can measure soil carbon through soil tests (so can you) so I would argue that with a carbon tax comes a market to sell the credits I gain through my soil test carbon.

I would also argue that grass farmers cows are a big part of the solution to many of the problems that we are having. If there was more money in cows, we would be draining less land not suited for crop produciton, and calling it pasture. Instead we drain the class 4-5 land which floods the class 2-3 land realeasing NOx on the good land that would grow 3x the crop... not to mention all the emissions banging our heads against the wall trying to clear, drain and farm the old pastures.