🚀 go-pugleaf

     A general comment on preparations for the UNCED conference,
as well as the Worldwatch report, Life Support: Conserving
Biological Diversity, is that the preparations are good, and
human life is beginning to respond to this ultimate survival
threat.  In the report they conclude that "mass extinction has
started".
     One thing that is not clear in much of the discussion
however is the need to simply plant green plants that will
subtract CO2 from the atmosphere.  Although many documents have
discussed agroforestry, a specific look at what plants grow the
fastest, subtract the most CO2, and are most useful once
harvested (then a new growing season can begin) seems lacking. 
US experiments with planting Eucalyptus have shown that they take
a long time to produce major atmospheric carbon reductions.
     Hemp/cannabis, which is severely restricted in most areas,
can produce major atmospheric carbon reductions very fast.  And
the harvested biomass can be converted to everything from rope to
fuel and medicine.
     This needs to be discussed.  In the United States, during
WWII, our government instituted a crash program to plant hemp for
war preparation.  Now Washington, and other capitols need to do
the same thing for survival preparation.  This biomass program
would also be a tremendous boost to farmers the world over, as
they would have a ready market for the crop.  And it would also
reduce the need to use more fossil fuels.
     Any ideas on how we can overcome restrictions on the
planting of hemp/cannabis?
Chris

     This message comes to you from Sacramento, California, USA. 
As a member of the international green movement, I am dedicated
to reversing global warming caused by the green house effect. 
Other environmental concerns, as well as international social
justice, and international peace, will be brought about as a
result of reversing global warming, since in our estimate, doing
it will require major changes within our social fabric, i.e.,
grassroots participation as well as identifying the 100th Monkeys
(CM) in our bureaucracies (government, educational, business,
scientific, etc.).
     This program is called the BIOMASS PLANTING program.  I work
with Richard Davis (MA Biology, California State University at
Los Angeles) who is spearheading this program within the Green
Party of California.  In a nutshell, the BIOMASS PROGRAM means
people the world over will alter their present living habits, and
instead plant plants that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
     The first step is to gather the best scientific information
possible, so that we can talk about the program in a universal
language.  Once the initial reports are in (hopefully within a
few weeks), we should be able to speak knowingly as we seek out
the CMs.
     1) The first data we need is a measure of how much CO2 (and
other green house gases) are absorbed by various plants during
one growing season.
     2) The second data is what is what use can be made of the
plant at the end of the growing season.  Processing it must not
put too much CO2 (or other green house gases) back into the
atmosphere.
     Richard and I will be sorting these things out here on
Econet.  We'll try to establish a PLANETARY SURVIVAL conference. 
You can reach us through my user name SLIBERTY.  Any help you can
give in answering the questions in 1 and 2 above will be
appreciated
     Chris Bradfield