[USCC] Compost Carbon emissions

[Will Brinton]

Hi Eric

I believe we talked briefly about this at the Rocky Mountain Compost 
School, and it should be more prominent course work for next year's school.

Basically, carbon lost (volatized) in composting equates to (biogenic) 
CO2 to the air, with some corrections and adjustments.  I would 
estimate  30 - 80% of organic matter is volatized solids, roughly half 
of that being carbon, which then corrected  [(C x 3.66) = CO2], means - 
and you can  check my speedy math - it looks like  a ton of compost 
essentially makes a ton of CO2.  [ 75% OM x 75 % degradation x 50% C x 
3.66 ] Composting in this sense is an effective and relatively rapid way 
of converting oxygen into CO2.

Will Brinton
Woods End Labs

>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Calculating Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Composting
>      (Eric Simenson)
>  
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject:
> [USCC] Calculating Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Composting
> From:
> Eric Simenson <eric at bouldercompost.com>
> Date:
> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:44:21 -0600
> To:
> compost at mailman.cloudnet.com
>
> To:
> compost at mailman.cloudnet.com
>
>
>  Does anyone have an equation to calculate how much carbon dioxide is 
> released during composting?  I realize it depends on many factors, so 
> ballpark numbers are just fine.
>
> Thanks everyone,
> Eric Simenson
>
> Boulder Compost Co.
> 720-837-3286
> www.bouldercompost.com
>
-- 
William F Brinton Ph.D
Woods End Laboratories, Inc.
Mt Vernon MAINE USA 04352
+001 207 293 2457