The Role of Soil Moisture on our Climate, Weather and Global
Warming By Keith Bellingham Global warming is a topic that has
received much attention in the media, especially during the hot
days of summer. The process by which carbon dioxide (CO2) in the
atmosphere prevents the escape of thermal energy into outer
space is known as the green house effect. The higher the carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere the less thermal energy that
can escape thus an increasing global temperature. Environmental
scientists for several decades now have been establishing trends
between anthropogenic (human induced) and natural emissions and
the global thermal budget by examining carbon cycles and sources
and sinks (removal) of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Within the
framework of the Kyoto Protocol, soil management represents a
substantial mitigating factor reducing the atmospheric
concentrations of CO2. Countries adopting the Kyoto Protocol can
fulfill the carbon budget criteria by creating soil CO2 sinks on
agricultural and f