Soil scientist Eric Slesserev explains how the historical transition to human agriculture reduced carbon sequestration in soils.
Opinion
Slesserev: Evolving science makes precise soil carbon calculations currently impossible
“Our conceptual understanding of what goes on in soil and why carbon sticks around as long as it does in soil has been evolving really rapidly over the last couple decades, and it's by no means settled.
so that, that doesn't mean that, you know, we're totally …”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Slesserev: Enhanced rock weathering lacks field proof even locally
“The catch is that we still don't have many field studies, and so it hasn't really been proven even at a local level, let alone at scale. And it's, I It's probably pretty hard to quantify how much CO₂ is actually being removed via that pathway. There are many p…”
Opinion
Slesserev: Additionality Dilemmas in Soil Carbon Outweigh Physical Measurement Issues
“And this issue plagues the forestry sector as well. It's just as bad in the soil world. And I personally, I think that challenge swamps the measurement issues”
Assertion Supported
Slesserev: No-till farming can actually deplete soil carbon at deeper depths
“Basically shifting tillage regime it means that not only are you changing the biology of the system and the rate at which carbon Flows through it, but also changing the vertical distribution of carbon, because tilling soil mixes carbon, and it also influences …”
Opinion
Slesserev: Soil models used for carbon credit baselines are fundamentally outdated
“And so the models that are being used to make projections about carbon sequestration in soil, or to come up with estimates for baselines for those calculations, are They're essentially outdated, which is not to say that they're wildly inaccurate, but they don'…”
Insight
Slesserev: Conservation Agriculture Is Not Equivalent to Permanent Carbon Removal
“Organic carbon is not necessarily a long-lived sink for atmospheric CO₂, and at some level, I think that's the central thing to keep in mind, is that microbes like to break down organic matter. It's how they make a living and so any one of these practices migh…”