Posted by Decao:
I am glad to share some interesting questions I got from the paper “Marland G et al. (2001) Environmental Science & Policy 4: 259–268” I think it should be helpful for the work on “Carbon” topic.
“In its attempt to provide quantitative limits on greenhouse gas emissions, the Kyoto protocol accepts the principle that sequestration of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere can be used to offset emissions of carbon from fossil-fuel combustion. Fig. 1 illustrates the concept that if we refrain from emitting a unit of CO2 to the atmosphere, if CO2 emissions are collected in a bottle at the point of discharge, or if emitted CO2 is moved a short distance through the atmosphere and then taken up in vegetation; there should be no substantial difference for the atmosphere. In the simple illustration of Fig. 1, we ask what has been gained if the bottle breaks or the tree burns. Whether or not the Kyoto protocol ever comes into force, it is worthwhile to understand how carbon sequestration might be treated in any mitigation plan that provides a tax or ration on carbon emissions.”
“(1) If activities succeed in increasing the carbon in the biosphere, will it stay there (the permanence issue)?
(2) If activities succeed in increasing the rate of carbon accumulation in the biosphere, how long will it be possible to continue at the increased rate (the saturation issue)?
(3) If activities succeed in increasing carbon stocks in the biosphere, is it possible to accurately and precisely measure and affirm that it has been done (the verifiability issue)?’’
