Carbon Offsetting??Please show me the theory in practice.

[primmiemoo]

So is it not a bit hypocritical for us to say our hedgerows are offsetting our tractors emissions?

Not really, imv. After as much as possible is done to stop using fossil fuels, the farming is going to be a closed loop. I write this from a safe place where dog, stick, and wheelbarrow reign for most of the year, and know that things aren't as simple with other farms.

 

[Muddyroads]

Any business that engages in carbon trading/offsetting should be seen as being complicit in global warming.

 

[DrWazzock]

It’s not really going to make any impact is it unless people reduce fossil fuel usage. Trees, PP, soil OM while being worthy things in their own right aren’t suddenly going to suck up the ton of kerosene you burnt flying off on holiday and more importantly they aren’t going to lock up carbon on a permanent basis. The impact of these measures will be just “noise” on the graph.

 

[matthew]

So is it not a bit hypocritical for us to say our hedgerows are offsetting our tractors emissions?

Why? I’d rather offset my own emissions, than someone else’s. Or are we going back to horse ploughs?

 

[andybk]

dont you think this is just another income stream for HMG , famers get paid for offsetting with no real outlay = tax , both on new income and capital gains ,

 

[Oldmacdonald]

Why? I’d rather offset my own emissions, than someone else’s. Or are we going back to horse ploughs?

Because you own the hedges.

If Ryanair bought 1000 miles of hedges, what's the difference?
You are both hedge owners, using them to offset your carbon use.

 

[andybk]

Because you own the hedges.

If Ryanair bought 1000 miles of hedges, what's the difference?
You are both hedge owners, using them to offset your carbon use.

If you own the land , otherwise your landlord does , then were do you offset your tractor carbon if your the tenant ?

 

[matthew]

Because you own the hedges.

If Ryanair bought 1000 miles of hedges, what's the difference?
You are both hedge owners, using them to offset your carbon use.

It’s all down to perception.
We know already that acres of farmland are being hoovered up to ‘offset’ polluter‘s emissions. Will that alter total emissions or reduce them? Nope.
But I’ll use a hedge splasher, if you insist. And cut silage with a scythe aka Poldark

That’s how hollow the whole Berluddy thing is.

 

[matthew]

If you own the land , otherwise your landlord does , then were do you offset your tractor carbon if your the tenant ?

…. Or worse, a landowner who has sold his credits?

 

[DaveGrohl]

Because you own the hedges.

If Ryanair bought 1000 miles of hedges, what's the difference?
You are both hedge owners, using them to offset your carbon use.

So in summary, carbon offsetting shouldn't be allowed. Agreed.

 

[DrWazzock]

Well we’ve been here since 1953. There should be 5 ft depth of hedge trimmings under every hedge then. But there isn’t. Where have they gone? They’ve oxidised of course. Turned back into carbon dioxide. Probably only 8 years of sequestration at best . It’s all bollox with a capital B.

 

[Daddy Pig]

Do hedges really sequester much carbon ? sure they absorb loads of co2 throughout the growing season but come the autumn the majority get flailed by a tractor burning fossil fuel and all the trimmings decompose and release all the co2 back into the atmosphere.

 

[primmiemoo]

[don't mind me for a bit. just daydreaming of men what are men scything in carbon neutral sweeps ~~~~ ]

 

[Daddy Pig]

Well we’ve been here since 1953. There should be 5 ft depth of hedge trimmings under every hedge then. But there isn’t. Where have they gone? They’ve oxidised of course. Turned back into carbon dioxide. Probably only 8 years of sequestration at best . It’s all bollox with a capital B.

you beat me to it.

 

[DrWazzock]

We could let the hedges get massive of course but then there is a H and S issue along roads and they are quite inconvenient round fields if they get too big. And they still fall over rot and oxidise as do trees, or get burnt.

 

[Still Farming]

Or some really intensive farm after the little grass small holding to mitigate THEIR footprints possibly???

 

[Easedoff]

Given that nature cannot capture all the excess carbon being liberated now, when all the credits are dished out, what carbon producers are going to go to the wall because they have no offset?
Seems to me, cutbacks in releasing carbon are what is needed, not a market in soaking it up.

 

[matthew]

I’ve just read this paper on another thread.

Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap

Prominent academics, including a former IPCC chair, round on governments worldwide for using the concept of net zero emissions to ‘greenwash’ their lack of commitment to solving global warming.

theconversation.com

worth a scan. Especially the amount of water trees need v. pasture, and lack of light causing warming. Interesting stuff. OH was in Durban, South Africa where they’d planted acres of trees, 50 years ago. And found it had starved the city and townships of water .

Net Zero and carbon offsets are not compatible. IMO.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Or you set up a farming company, Unicorns and Rainbows Carbon Farming Ltd, give it a 30 year FBT on your land, then it signs a contract with Polluting MegaCorp™. Pay out all the carbon payments as dividends over the years, if at the end of the contract there's not enough carbon, hey its a limited company, let it go to the wall.........

Let me buy you a virtual beer

 

[Kiwi Pete]

And one that accounts for methane properly.

Once everyone stops sticking their hand up, I don't know any farmers near here with uncapped wells.