The Soil Carbon Challenge, or World Carbon Cup, is an international prize competition to see how fast land managers can turn atmospheric carbon into soil organic matter. We're actively seeking partnerships and suggestions.
The Challenge is also an observatory, analogous to Keeling's observatory for atmospheric carbon concentrations on Mauna Loa which developed the iconic Keeling curve of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide since 1958. This "observatory" is dispersed over the world's soils, focusing on human management of the carbon cycle, via long-term monitoring of soil carbon.
Recognizing that the biological carbon cycle in a field or landscape has large variability over time, and that human decisions have an enormous impact on how this carbon cycle functions, let's seek out this variability, measure it accurately, and learn from it on a case-by-case basis.
Soil organic carbon has value above and beyond the needs of present or future carbon markets for offsets to fossil fuel consumption. The Challenge is not an offset market scheme, or a blueprint for particular strategies or practices. The greatest leverage (financial, social, and ecological) can be obtained through a monitored competition, where land managers (brought together by local groups) choose the strategies they will implement.
Scenario: One-page quick overview of what it's about.
Unscrambling the egg: Why we need a new policy model to deal with the "scrambled egg" of the biosphere.
If you're still looking for more, try the links on the right hand side of the page.
We're actively seeking suggestions, comments, links to other efforts. Please use the discussion forum, or contact us at info at soilcarboncoalition dot org.
