Submission Template
Carbon Farming Initiative methodology
Overview
This submission template should be used to provide comments on a draft methodology proposed under
the Carbon Farming Initiative.
Contact Details
Name of Organisation:
Name of Author:
Niko Hamp
Phone Number:
+27 44 8707070
Email:
nikoh@lantic.net
Website:
Date:
30 June 2011
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Submission Instructions
Submissions should be made by close of business on the day the public consultation period closes for
the methodology. This date will be specified on the website. The Department reserves the right not to
consider late submissions.
Where possible, submissions should be lodged electronically, preferably in Microsoft Word or other text
based formats, via the email address – DOIC@climatechange.gov.au.
Submissions may alternatively be sent to the postal address below to arrive by the due date.
DOIC Secretariat, Land Division
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
GPO Box 854
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Name of methodology: Management of large ferel herbivores (camels) in the
Australian rangelands
General/overall comments
I question the logic of the carbon cycle of the emitted CH4 which anyway gets oxidised to CO2 in the
atmosphere and anyway originates from biomass.
Section
number:
3.3
Management of
large ferel
herbivores
(camels) in the
Australian
rangelands –
Avoided emissions
from feral animals
2
Comments
It is commonly accepted that converting biomass into biofuel, like biodiesel for
example, is an accepted carbon neutral conversion, i.e. the carbon emissions from
such biofuels are seen as non-‘carbon taxable’. The reason for this is because there
are so-called long term and short term carbon cycles on this planet. The long term
cycle involves the carbon storage of dying biological material millions to hundreds of
millions of years ago leading to the formation of fossilised carbon deposits. This solid
carbon is released again to a gaseous state in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2)
(or methane, CH4) due to sedimentary exposure over thousands to millions of years.
The short term cycle is the immediate consumption of CO2 by living plants with
subsequent conversion to cellulose, lignin, etc. that makes up the plant components.
When the plant is eaten by any herbivorous animal the cellulose, hemicellulose, etc. is
digested to produce energy and converted to waste (manure) with all sorts of related
biological activity converting some of the carbon to CO2 and/or CH4. The CH4 is
oxidised over time to CO2 in the atmosphere
(http://environmentofearth.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/methane-cycle-inatmosphere/ ). Ultimately this CO2 is consumed by plants again (using solar
energy). The reason why the combustion of plant material is seen as carbon neutral is
because the carbon follows through from the atmosphere, back to the atmosphere.
You cannot create or destroy matter in the universe… this is a fundamental law of
physics. That means that whether you burn the grass or whether the camel emits
CH4 from its bowels the carbon ends up in the atmosphere and is consumed by the
next season’s grass again. Yes, the grass plains often replace forests due to farming
activity and what used to be a carbon sink now pushes CH4 (via herbivores, which
ultimately becomes CO2) and CO2 into the atmosphere, but the grass grows again in
the following season, using CO2 in the atmosphere and sunshine for the energy
conversion. If you follow the link as above
(http://environmentofearth.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/methane-cycle-inatmosphere/), an increased amount of herbivores will lead to an increase in CH4 push
into the atmosphere but then so will all the other reaction rates back to CO2. Besides,
the reaction rate picks up with increased CH4 concentration (k[OH][CH4] – see link
above). This means there will be a very slight overall increase in CH4 concentration
but it is processed back to CO2. There should be a steady state point. A couple of
camels should hardly budge that concentration. The real problem here, in my view,
is the destruction of indigenous forestation to replace it with grass for the animals to
feed on.
If it can be shown that camels cause substantial deforestation, i.e. they permanently
destroy large indigenous plantations permanently (without fast enough re-growth) I
would think there is cause for their extermination or population control at least but
the methane emissions argument does not necessarily seem plausible. I also wonder
about the UN stance on that. I urge you to run those chemical kinetics equations
(links above) by a physical chemist at a university. And perhaps more research is
required? At the end of the day what disrupts the carbon balance is the addition of
carbon for the long term cycle (fossil carbon) within a very short time-span and the
destruction of carbon sinks (longer term carbon storage such as trees), otherwise why
use biofuels which emit CO2 anyway….. and all biological activity has always been
there and is relatively short term. What about the thousands of bison and mammoths
no longer emitting CH4?
3