Irish Grassland Sinks its Roots into Carbon Dioxide
October 1st, 2009 Posted in Green Living & News
When you think of Ireland, you probably conjure an image of rolling hills and lush green grass. A cliche picture, maybe, but also a very real part of Ireland’s countryside. But these grass-carpeted landscapes are good for more than just a Kodak moment.
A recent study from University College Cork and Teagasc in Ireland found that Ireland’s southern grasslands alone can take heavy amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. Essentially, Irish grasslands are the perfect carbon sink.
What exactly is a carbon sink?
A carbon sink is any natural or artificially made resource that captures and stores carbon dioxide. Carbon sinks can be anything from forests to the ocean to soil. These sinks are extremely important to keeping the air pure and with proper oxygen levels.
So why are Ireland’s grasslands such promising carbon sinks?
To begin with, Ireland has over 7 billion acres of managed grasslands. These grasslands are monitored by Ireland’s EPA and the farmers who live there. The grasslands were found to trap 11,000-18,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide per every 2.47 acres a year. These grasslands could therefore be a key to controlling climate change because they can trap and, more importantly, hold 10-15% of carbon dioxide emissions. With proper management, the grasslands of Ireland could be one of the central fronts in the war on global warming.
Why is carbon dioxide so important?
Because as we all know, greenhouse gases cause global warming. And what is the worst offending greenhouse gas? You guessed it, carbon dioxide. So if Irish grasslands, and other grasslands and forests in the world, could be harnessed to be carbon sinks, global warming might be more easily reduced.
This grassland carbon sink business is all well and good, but what can you personally do to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions?
Buying organic is key, so why not buy organic insecticide when you have a bug problem? EcoSMART’s natural insect killers like Flying Insect Killer are organic and won’t harm the environment (or your pets or kids).
