State legislation seeks to lock away carbon to help climate

The Snohomish Chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) applauds the recent letter by Kate Lunceford written in support of Senate Bill 5688, which has as one of its goals to encourage the sequestration of carbon from our atmosphere.

This effort to increase the working forests in our state is one of CCL’s primary policy initiatives. One other sequestration approach not often mentioned is “carbon farming” where farmers using compost and organic mulch, avoiding tilling (which causes the soil to mix with air, allowing carbon to oxidize), planting cover crops and rotating herds of livestock, can effectively maximize the amount of carbon that remains in the soil. It’s a way to achieve high yields without chemicals and promotes soil health.

When it comes to saving the climate, we’ve got a wildfire on our hands. Sequestering carbon in soil is an important way to help douse the flames.

Jim Bloss

Monroe

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