Re: [GRRN] Biomass energy

KirbGood@aol.com
Sun, 21 Nov 1999 23:27:51 EST


I went to a presentation the other evening by a group at the University of
Washington charged with suggesting infrastructure changes (water,
transportation, etc.) that might be prudent to undertake if global warming
is, indeed, occurring.

In thinking about the issue afterwards, it seems that carbon dioxide is an
output from virtually all human activities (energy generation, many
industrial processes, breathing, etc.) aside from growing plants. I've read
much of what the feds have put out on greenhouse gases, and have never seen a
scenario that projects an eventual equilibrium between CO2 generation and
sequestration.

We have been living off of the carbon sequestered by ancient forests since
the beginning of the industrial revolution, and it would seem to be virtually
impossible projecting any realistic way of returning that balance with 6
billion people on the planet, regardless of how many trees are planted today.

1) Has anyone seen a realistic scenario that projects a balance of carbon
in/carbon out?

2) What human activities, besides growing plants, reduce or sequester CO2
from the atmosphere?