Carbon Sequestration
Regardless of whether or not you believe in "man-made climate change" or "global warming", everyone should be able to see the benefits of reducing pollution and planting trees and restoring grasslands through planned grazing.
Forests alone cannot sequester all of the excess carbon added by burning fossil fuels, but they can make a difference, especially if we help and encourage them. Wisely managed forests can sequester carbon and also provide a sustainable source of fuel and lumber, help clean our air and water, preserve wildlife habitat, provide recreation opportunities and preserve the beauty of trees in their natural home for generations to come.
We agree with the 2016 Green Party Platform:
"Ecological restoration is a valuable tool to achieve this and it will increase the quality of living for all. When forests, grasslands, and farmlands are restored, they act as carbon sinks and improve the health of the soil.Greens support creating a federal program under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for carbon sequestration to fund local public initiatives that:
- Plant trees, reforest and afforest public lands
- Revegetate grasslands with native species to prevent desertification and improve climate resilience
- Encourage the use of regenerative agricultural techniques
- Restore ecosystems on privately-owned lands by providing incentives to landowners."
Planned Grazing
Grazing management can be improved to reverse grazing practices that continually remove a very large proportion of aboveground biomass. Implementing a grazing management system that maximizes production, rather than offtake, can increase carbon inputs and sequester carbon.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
