this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2023
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Sheep numbers in sharp decline as farmers increasingly shift to forestry, fuelled by demand to earn carbon credits

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[–] Munkisquisher 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The really perverse thing is there's no intention to ever harvest it. If they did that they'd have to pay back the carbon credits. They plant it and leave it, gather carbon credits quickly for 40 years. The rate slows down to a trickle after that as the canopy is mature. There is really no plan after that. Source family in forestry.

[–] Ilovethebomb 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Doesn't the harvested timber lock up carbon though?

[–] Munkisquisher 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes if its buried or made into heirloom furniture. Much ends up as paper, boxing and framing for concrete construction and burnt. Very little truly locks it away long term, so the rules are that you count it as emissions at harvest time. If someone buys that and provably buries it at the bottom of a cave forever, they can claim the carbon credits again.

[–] Ilovethebomb 2 points 1 year ago

Anything that goes into the framing of a building would be pretty permanent, at least on a human time scale.