Excerpt
Research has been conducted to estimate the amount of carbon that can be stored in agricultural soils, but less is known about the economic value of that stored carbon. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic value of stored carbon that accumulates when agricultural land is removed from production. A supply curve for carbon storage was developed to demonstrate the relationship between the costs of storing carbon and the amount of carbon that can be stored. This information allows landowners to be aware of a potential income stream from an alternative to traditional crop production and industry to have some idea of the costs of carbon dioxide offsets.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration levels have been increasing since 1850 and increasing rapidly since 1945, which concerns many scientists. According to US Environmental Protection Agency estimates, industry was responsible for 56% (mostly from electricity production) and transportation 32% of total carbon dioxide emissions from the United States in 2004. In the future, industries may be required to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions …
Footnotes
- Copyright 2007 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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