Thursday, October 15, 2009

Can this bird habitat really offset carbon emissions?

Can wetlands -- often rich in birdlife and valued by birders -- play a role in allowing businesses to purchase pollution credits? From Houston Chronicle, "Companies eye wetlands to offset carbon emissions":

For the past few years, people have planted trees in the effort to stop global warming. But now some scientists think they've found another solution: restoring wetlands.

These marshy areas absorb carbon dioxide, the principal heat-trapping gas blamed for warming the planet. Their storage capacity may be greater per acre than forests, scientists said.

That little-known function of wetlands could lead to a major role in federal efforts to combat climate change and an environmental boon for the Texas coast.

Climate change legislation that has passed the U.S. House and is similar to measures under consideration in the Senate would allow industries to use offsets worth up to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Do you agree with the article's comments that the legislation amounts to a hoax or scam?

Photo courtesy of The Green Technocrat

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2 Comments:

Blogger Ashok said...

Cordgrass which grows abundantly here on the pacific coast just at or slightly below sea level captures 10 times the CO2 of the rain forest. It also provides more than 10x the nutrients. So saving marsh/wetlands makes a lot of sense - and I tell all my schoolkid tours that coastlines are even more important than the rainforest.

October 15, 2009 8:33 PM  
Blogger Amy said...

How widely known is this info about cordgrass? Has a lot of research been conducted and publicized? I like to see links, which helps other readers see authoritative sources.

October 16, 2009 9:08 AM  

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