But holding the carbon in the soil, rather that harvesting and selling it, will provide the income. It's already happening in Iowa, says Bob Byrnes, Lyon County educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. CO2 levels have increased significantly over the past century.
Carbon is an essential element for almost all plant and animal life.
Plants obtain carbon from CO2, says Byrnes. Animals, including humans, obtain carbon from plants and return CO2 to the atmosphere. The more recent higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are believed by some to be a factor in potential global warning. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, soil tillage, and wetland drainage have decreased the amount of fixed, organic carbon and dramatically increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In other words, as less carbon is trapped in soil and growing plants around the world, more CO2 is released to the atmosphere.