GMOs, chemical agriculture release billions of tons of carbon into atmosphere

Tuesday, May 13, 2014 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: GMOs, chemical agriculture, carbon emissions

(NaturalNews) The next time somebody tries to tell you that cow farts, cars or too many people are the impetus behind disastrous changes in the climatic norms of the planet, you may want to point them to a new analysis paper published in Yale University\'s Yale Environment 360 that unveils two of the actual causes of man-made climate change that the mainstream media refuses to talk about: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and chemical-based, industrial agriculture.

The paper, entitled Soil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight?, points to unsustainable agriculture -- this includes the planting of millions of acres of land with GM soy and corn, and the regular spraying of this land with toxic pesticides and herbicides -- as a major cause of excess carbon release. Healthy soils, it turns out, naturally sequester carbon and preserve it for the benefit of humans and the environment, but modern agricultural practices have destroyed much of it, creating a serious imbalance.

Many of America\'s former tall grass prairies, according to the analysis, have been converted into vast growing fields for government-subsidized commodity crops, which heavily tax the earth and create vast amounts of pollution. These crops are also planted in isolation using a monoculture format, which further depletes soil minerals and microbes and leads to a situation where natural soil carbon content is altered.

As a result, these damaged soils end up releasing stored carbon into the air, where it oxidizes and turns into carbon dioxide. And this constant and increasing release, say some experts, is what is truly responsible for disrupting normal climate patterns and possibly creating a situation where entire ecosystems are now at risk of collapse.

\"Recognition of the vital role played by soil carbon could mark an important if subtle shift in the discussion about global warming, which has been heavily focused on curbing emissions of fossil fuels,\" wrote Judith D. Schwartz for Environment 360. \"Reducing emissions is crucial, but soil carbon sequestration needs to be part of the picture as well.\"