BY DR. JOEY PALU-AY DACUDAO
DOCUMENTED CO2 atmospheric studies began in March of 1958 in Mona Loa Observatory in Hawaii, a weather station of the US Weather Bureau, and since then all over the world. The measurement was 315 ppm in 1957.
It has been hypothesized that CO2 pre-industrial level was 280 parts per million, but this is not documented by concrete measurements.
In my opinion it’s safest to assume a pre-industrial figure of slightly below the 315 ppm in 1957. In any case, CO2 levels during the Carboniferous may have reached levels lower than that of recent pre-industrial times.
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In contrast, oxygen level is hypothesized to have reached 30%. In our modern times O2 is just at 21%.
It is hypothesized that the high abundance of atmospheric oxygen allowed arthropods to attain enormous sizes. The most famous examples are giant dragonfly-like insects. Arthropods, such as insects, do not have lungs similar to ours, and instead obtain oxygen through holes and tubings (their tracheal system) in their bodies. Oxygen diffuses through their tracheal system. Therefore, they cannot grow to large sizes as they cannot effectively pump in oxygen, which our lungs, which act as bellows, do for us.
The above tale carries an important lesson for us.
Carbonization of organic matter is the most effective way of drawing in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it into elemental carbon (with the concomitant release of oxygen).
How do we do this?
By charring. As mentioned above, it carbonizes organic material.
The famous terra preta of the Amazon is an example of this. The carbonization of organic matter not only fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide, it also results in a type of soil that, because of its high carbon content, easily retains water and minerals better and is prevented from acidification.
In the local setting, the traditional practice of charring plant remains in sugar cane fields after harvest amounts to the same thing. Ever wondered why the same soils in Negros have supported the growth of sugar cane for more than a hundred years without substantially deteriorating? It’s most probably due to traditional charring.
Nature has already provided us an example of how to effectively fix and thus lower atmospheric carbon dioxide in the Carboniferous. We just have to do the same thing. (For comments and suggestions please email to mabuhibisaya2017@gmail.com)
