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Computare
Agriculture - Forestry
•Major component of the carbon cycle
–Five times bigger than fossil fuel
•Agriculture induced changes to carbon cycle
–Increased carbon uptake from atmosphere
–   from fertilizer, irrigation, plant breeding
–Historical removal of forests
–Historical carbon release from soil
–Produces carbon bearing waste streams
Last – and most - we come to agriculture and forestry
Our review of the carbon cycle indicated these human activities cycle about five times as much carbon annually as is released from fossil fuel combustion.
We  already use  science and technology to increase the productivity of this the plants under our control. Irrigation, fertilizer, and plant selection and breeding increase the annual turnover of carbon. The first two of these are subtly integrated with energy production. Energy for irrigation is taken from renewable energy provided by the hydrogeological cycle. Fertilizer production requires energy – and some is made from fossil fuels.
At the same time stocks of carbon in standing forests have decreased and carbon stored in soils has been released to the atmosphere.
It seems there may be opportunities to modify our agro-forestry technology to keep greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. This would focus on managing the carbon bearing waste streams.