If a golf course could scientifically prove increased soil carbon?

[Fledermaus]

Shouldn’t the golf course receive carbon credits to sell?

[ZombieHorde]

1. I think anyone can sell carbon credits. nt

[excess_3]

7. not exactly, the concept needs to be approved

it is the approval part, that I don't like.

the people wh have appointed themselves to
approve offset projects are frauds.

[mike_c]

2. increased relative to what?

In my mind, it would depend upon what the golf course supplanted. An industrial parking lot? Yes. A mixed meadow/forest landscape? Show me the data that such a golf course could increase carbon sequestration over the habitat it replaced, and I'd be perfectly willing to talk about it!

[Fledermaus]

4. An existing golf course. The damage is already done. How could it be managed better?

How many city owned golf courses are there?

[mike_c]

5. in that case, I'd ask the owners to show...

...that their continued use of the land as a golf course is BETTER than feasible alternative uses, such as old field reclamation-- and to PAY carbon credits to the degree it isn't.

But I'm just an old ecologist curmudgeon that way! :rofl:

[Fledermaus]

10. Well I don't think thats going to happen.

:)

[Oregone]

3. No. Not at all. They would rather be a place where a company could purchase "offsets" if...

they continued to capture carbon at the rate a company would pollute over their "carbon credits". But, the offset notion is a shit idea anyway.

"carbon credits" are different that "carbon offsets".

There is a limited amount of credits issued by the government (hence the cap). Offsets are a loophole where a company can invest in another that is claiming to reduce emissions (and thereby pollute over their credit limit).

But if the government wasn't full of idiots, they could simply issue a higher cap and fund/grant offset companies they KNEW were capturing carbon. This entire loophole is going to shake out as a huge scam. The only thing is, the accounting will show emission reductions (to the cap) when there really will not be at all.

[Fledermaus]

8. I think one loop hole is verification.

And carbon capture should be traded at the same rate. I think the credit unit of measure should be one ton of CO2

[Fotoware58]

6. A few caveats, though

First of all, you'd have to have a rule of no golf carts, even the hybrid ones. That would mean finding a way to reduce the breathing of multitudes of fat "snow birds". That means no hills and maybe have the golfers wear spiked golf shoes which aerate the low-water lawn species. The imitation water hazards must eliminate the watervapor-spewing ponds. All sand traps MUST be arctic white to reflect sunlight back into space. Charles Barkley must not be allowed to play on the course because he himself is a major source of hot air. Tees must be made of FSC-certified trees that have died in a forest fire. Balls must be made of cellulosic ethanol-based plastics that have a sunlight half-life of one week, before breaking down into organic components, becoming food for native arachnids. Only certified vegan beer can be used so that the golfers pee cannot destroy mini-ecosystems set up by the Nature Conservancy. Deceased golfers must not be moved and will become a part of the golf course ecosystem, devoured and removed by special carniverous ant colonies. There WILL be a danger to golfers who are merely passed out.

[Nihil]

12. That was a good start to the day!

:-)

[Fledermaus]

13. I play Frisbee golf. Would I have to use an edible Frisbee?

"Frisbee Golf"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQ8S1LcioQ

[Fotoware58]

14. Sure!

Why not!?! As long it is vegan and not linked to a corporate entity. A single non-profit emblem will be allowed. Preferably a a planet Earth symbol. However, Gaia chants must be performed on every odd hole on the course and an offering of a single live tree must be made somewhere on the back nine.

[XemaSab]

9. Golf sucks

When I'm dictator, those assholes will be the first against the wall.

[mike_c]

11. +1....

Word.

[Ready4Change]

15. I recently started playing. Yet I tend to agree.

I laugh at how the country club players think their courses are so natural, when the things are manicured within an inch of their lives and over fertilized and pesticided and even dyed, when needed, to remain green all year round. What George Carlin said about golf is right on the mark in a lot of places.

Which is a shame, because the game itself is fun. It could really be played just about anywhere. Take a look at urban golf for how some people play it in cities. Or http://www.pasturegolf.com/">Check out Pasture Golf for not only playing golf in (far) less manicured conditions, but how playing it that way is far truer to the roots of the game. And counter to the stereotyped stuck up country club snobs, I've run into a lot of good, fun people where I've played.

[Fledermaus]

16. C sequestration in turf soils occurs at a rate comparable or exceeds those in conservation reserve

Interpretive Summary: This journal paper discusses the increasing importance of turfgrass as urbanization occupies an increasing percentage of land throughout the U.S. Because of high productivity and lack of soil disturbance, turfgrass may be making substantial contributions to sequester atmospheric carbon. To determine the rate and capacity of soil carbon (C) sequestration, an extensive long-term data set was compiled from 15 golf courses that were near metropolitan Denver and Fort Collins, CO and one golf course near Saratoga, WY as a surrogate of urban turfgrass systems. The oldest golf course was 45 years old and the newest was 1.5 years old. On all fairway sites, soils were indigenous. Analyses showed the total C sequestration continued for up to 45 years in putting greens at an average rate approaching 0.9 ton ha-1 year-1, and for about 31 years in fairways at an average rate approaching 1.1 ton ha-1 year-1. These results suggest that C sequestration in turf soils occurs at a significant rate that is comparable or exceeds those reported for US land that has been placed in the conservation reserve program.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=149952