Soil Carbon Storage As Climate Strategy

Last year, as Countries around the Globe Locked-Down because of Coronavirus, Carbon Emissions fell Sharply.

It was an important Reminder that Society is Capable of Quickly and Dramatically Reducing its Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Curb Climate Change. But Emissions Reductions Alone might Not be enough.

Removing Carbon that is already in the Atmosphere may be Necessary to Avoid Catastrophic Warming.

Enter Soil Carbon Storage, which President Biden has called "the next frontier for storing carbon."

This Carbon Mitigation Strategy involves Managing Farms, Forests, and Wetlands, in ways that Keep Carbon in the Ground and Out of the Atmosphere.

To be Successful, the Approach Requires Cooperation among Various Groups including Government, Industry, and Farmers. This has Led some to Argue that Soil Carbon Storage, while Technically Feasible, may face Political Resistance due to the Polarization that surrounds Climate Change Policy in places like the U.S.

Most Americans Support Soil Carbon Storage as a Climate Strategy. But do Politics really make Soil Carbon Storage "elusive," as some have Suggested?

A Majority were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to Support Soil Carbon Storage as a Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategy. Slightly Fewer, but still a Majority, Supported a Different Version of Soil Carbon Storage that involved Biochar, a form of Charcoal made from Unused Plant Material and Manure from Farms that is then Mixed into Soil.

Democrats expressed more Support than Republicans for both Soil Carbon Storage and Soil Carbon Storage with Biochar. However, even Republicans said they were more likely than Unlikely to Support Soil Carbon Storage, which was also true when the Approach included Biochar.

What about Farmers, a Group that could Store a Critically Important amount of Carbon if Incentivized to Adopt Soil Carbon Practices, they voiced Clear Support as well.

As Countries around the World, including the U.S., Commit to Ambitious Climate Targets and Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategies are more frequently Debated in Policy Circles, understanding where Resistance among the Public Lies, and where it doesn't, is more Important than ever.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker