Comments on: Boreal Forests: The Carbon the World Forgot http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:40:46 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Leif http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-195592 Leif Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:51:18 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-195592 Cynthia, # 10' While I whole heartily agree, I would point out that pine beetles are doing a much better job pushing us in the other direction. We have similar effects as posted above on CP here in the Pacific North West Cascade mountains. Google photos, heart breaking. Under reported... Cynthia, # 10′ While I whole heartily agree, I would point out that pine beetles are doing a much better job pushing us in the other direction. We have similar effects as posted above on CP here in the Pacific North West Cascade mountains. Google photos, heart breaking. Under reported…

]]> By: Cynthia http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-192413 Cynthia Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:22:42 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-192413 We have two major sinks to help us out of this climate mess: forests and oceans. There's not much we can do about oceans becoming saturated. However, there is A LOT we can do to preserve the forests! There should be strict laws to prevent the destruction of trees!!!!! We have two major sinks to help us out of this climate mess: forests and oceans. There’s not much we can do about oceans becoming saturated. However, there is A LOT we can do to preserve the forests! There should be strict laws to prevent the destruction of trees!!!!!

]]> By: Jeff R. http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-192253 Jeff R. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:13 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-192253 Sounds like the boreal forest is yet another hostage that Russia's holds as it extracts concessions from the rest of the world for participation in any climate deal. Sounds like the boreal forest is yet another hostage that Russia’s holds as it extracts concessions from the rest of the world for participation in any climate deal.

]]> By: Greg Robie http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-192132 Greg Robie Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:41:42 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-192132 I believe the reference to permafrost storage of biomass is in error. I was taught you need an the pressure of a glacier to set the stage for permafrost creation. If so, this is an inter-glacier period, so no permafrost creation, just hawing. Also, the solar incidence is low and the soils are glaciated so, as noted in another comment, s l o w growth rates, though the warming will help this rate . . . until the beetle infestation moves in. Any bets that the methane release won't dwarf any carbon sequestering increase? I believe the reference to permafrost storage of biomass is in error. I was taught you need an the pressure of a glacier to set the stage for permafrost creation. If so, this is an inter-glacier period, so no permafrost creation, just hawing. Also, the solar incidence is low and the soils are glaciated so, as noted in another comment, s l o w growth rates, though the warming will help this rate . . . until the beetle infestation moves in.

Any bets that the methane release won’t dwarf any carbon sequestering increase?

]]> By: Leif http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-192054 Leif Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:36:51 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-192054 David Sands: You say that you are committed to reclaiming the land to previous condition. Does that include the CARBON STOMP of the resources exploited and released to be dealt with by all the rest of us? MY guess is NO but please correct me if I am wrong. That is why it is so important to have a tax on carbon, so that the environmental impacts are factored into the up front costs of exploitation and use and not just planting trees to get the same scenery. David Sands: You say that you are committed to reclaiming the land to previous condition. Does that include the CARBON STOMP of the resources exploited and released to be dealt with by all the rest of us? MY guess is NO but please correct me if I am wrong. That is why it is so important to have a tax on carbon, so that the environmental impacts are factored into the up front costs of exploitation and use and not just planting trees to get the same scenery.

]]> By: Government of Alberta http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-192016 Government of Alberta Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:12:12 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-192016 Canada's boreal forest is cherished by Canadians for the reasons Mr. Childs explains in this post and more, including so many explained in the full report, including as a refuge for species extripated from their former ranges further south. Our stewardship of the forest is global responsbility and the Government of Alberta embraces that. Predictably, the oil sands development of some 680 km2 of the 3.2 million km2 boreal is highlighted here, but unfortunately not mentioned is the fact of reclamation, which requires the land to be returned to self-sustaining ecosystem with similar capacities as it held before development. Yes, oil sands development has an impact - as does the 70,000 km2 of boreal coverted to agricultural use. It is our job to mitigate that impact, a task more effectively taken on if you correctly assess what it is to begin with. Here's a study that helps explain that impact so far, my apologies for the long url: http://www.abmi.ca/abmi/aboutabmi/aboutabmi.jsp;jsessionid=5A1BDA9D22ACD32E4487247EBC1E39F2?categoryId=30&showNews=true&newsId=246 - David Sands, for the Government of Alberta Canada’s boreal forest is cherished by Canadians for the reasons Mr. Childs explains in this post and more, including so many explained in the full report, including as a refuge for species extripated from their former ranges further south. Our stewardship of the forest is global responsbility and the Government of Alberta embraces that. Predictably, the oil sands development of some 680 km2 of the 3.2 million km2 boreal is highlighted here, but unfortunately not mentioned is the fact of reclamation, which requires the land to be returned to self-sustaining ecosystem with similar capacities as it held before development. Yes, oil sands development has an impact – as does the 70,000 km2 of boreal coverted to agricultural use. It is our job to mitigate that impact, a task more effectively taken on if you correctly assess what it is to begin with. Here’s a study that helps explain that impact so far, my apologies for the long url: http://www.abmi.ca/ abmi/ aboutabmi/ aboutabmi.jsp;jsessionid=5A1BDA9D22ACD32E4487247EBC1E39F2?categoryId=30&showNews=true&newsId=246

- David Sands, for the Government of Alberta

]]> By: Mike Roddy http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-191811 Mike Roddy Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:21:28 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-191811 The Boreal is being logged for toilet paper, pulp for newspapers and catalogs, and trusses for the US. Most logging is old growth. This is a tragedy, especially since regrowth rates are extremely slow. I wrote an article for Forest Voice on the general subject of North American deforestation and timber industry faux carbon accounting. It can be accessed along with the background research at tinyurl.com/ycxfsqu tinyurl.com/yc8ncuq I proved that if we switched from two by four house construction to light steel, this would have double the favorable impact on our emissions budget than requiring every new car to be a hybrid getting 45 mpg. Timber industry influence- abetted by newsmedia/newsprint relationships- keeps this vital information from getting out. Joe's post here is one of the first I've seen about the boreal on any climate blog. The boreal is the biggest terrestrial sink, by far, and if anything Canadian logging practices are worse than those in the Amazon, and those in the US are worse still, considering the massive herbicides and soil biota destruction. The Boreal is being logged for toilet paper, pulp for newspapers and catalogs, and trusses for the US. Most logging is old growth. This is a tragedy, especially since regrowth rates are extremely slow. I wrote an article for Forest Voice on the general subject of North American deforestation and timber industry faux carbon accounting. It can be accessed along with the background research at

tinyurl.com/ycxfsqu
tinyurl.com/yc8ncuq

I proved that if we switched from two by four house construction to light steel, this would have double the favorable impact on our emissions budget than requiring every new car to be a hybrid getting 45 mpg. Timber industry influence- abetted by newsmedia/newsprint relationships- keeps this vital information from getting out.

Joe’s post here is one of the first I’ve seen about the boreal on any climate blog. The boreal is the biggest terrestrial sink, by far, and if anything Canadian logging practices are worse than those in the Amazon, and those in the US are worse still, considering the massive herbicides and soil biota destruction.

]]> By: paulm http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-191750 paulm Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-191750 New Army Corps Policy Forces Project Designers to Consider Rising Seas http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10patch.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss New Army Corps Policy Forces Project Designers to Consider Rising Seas
http://www.nytimes.com/ 2009/ 11/ 10/ science/ 10patch.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

]]> By: Lee Kee Seng http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-191632 Lee Kee Seng Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:24:44 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-191632 As much of the carbon is stored due to incomplete decomposition as a result of lower temperature. Sounds like global warming will release a large portion of this carbon by accelerating decomposition. As much of the carbon is stored due to incomplete decomposition as a result of lower temperature. Sounds like global warming will release a large portion of this carbon by accelerating decomposition.

]]> By: paulm http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/12/boreal-forests-the-carbon-the-world-forgot/#comment-191620 paulm Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:16:55 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=14019#comment-191620 A view from the near future... Antarctic iceberg found floating near Macquarie island http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/12/antarctic-iceberg-floating-macquarie-island Australian biologist spots 'huge floating island of ice' halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica A view from the near future…

Antarctic iceberg found floating near Macquarie island
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ world/ 2009/ nov/ 12/ antarctic-iceberg-floating-macquarie-island

Australian biologist spots ‘huge floating island of ice’ halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica

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