Overlooked Non-CO2 Strategies: 50% of Climate Warming

Author:
Dan Pride

Date Posted:
01/15/10 03:08 AM

When I put a pot of water on the stove nothing happens for a long time. But once the bubbles start, its a very short time to a full boil. The bubbles have started. But in this case the bubbles are not neutral. Every bubble effectively turns the stove up a little more. Common sense tells me the scientists are trying to maintain respectabliltiy They don't want to yell fire in a Theater even when it is burning. Every year the estimates get shorter. The North West passage was to be open in 2100 a few years back. Except now its already open. Common sense tells me we have a very short time. Two good years, one or two iffy years. Then its an express ride to Hell.

Author:
Erich J. Knight

Date Posted:
01/16/10 05:52 AM

All political persuasions agree, building soil carbon is GOOD. To Hard bitten Farmers, wary of carbon regulations that only increase their costs, Building soil carbon is a savory bone, to do well while doing good. Biochar provides the tool powerful enough to cover Farming's carbon foot print while lowering cost simultaneously. Agriculture allowed our cultural accent and Agriculture will now prevent our descent. Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back our soil carbon, Biochar allows the soil food web to build much more recalcitrant organic carbon, ( living biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the carbon in the biochar. Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth, TP), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY! Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration (= to 1 Ton CO2e) + Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels = to 1MWh exported electricity, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle. Biochar viewed as soil Infrastructure; The old saw; "Feed the Soil Not the Plants" becomes; "Feed, Cloth and House the Soil, utilities included !". Free Carbon Condominiums with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar. Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come. Microbes like to sit down when they eat. By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders & Kingdoms of life. This is what I try to get across to Farmers, as to how I feel about the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of penitence and thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the Soil Sink Bankers, once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all the way to it. Unlike CCS which only reduces emissions, biochar systems draw down CO2 every energy cycle, closing a circle back to support the soil food web. The photosynthetic "capture" collectors are up and running, the "storage" sink is in operation just under our feet. Pyrolysis conversion plants are the only infrastructure we need to build out. Another significant aspect of bichar is removal of BC aerosols by low cost ($3) Biomass cook stoves that produce char but no respiratory disease emissions. At Scale, replacing "Three Stone" stoves the health benefits would equal eradication of Malaria http://biocharfund.org/ The Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF).recently funded The Biochar Fund $300K for these systems citing these priorities; (1) Hunger amongst the world's poorest people, the subsistence farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa, (2) Deforestation resulting from a reliance on slash-and-burn farming, (3) Energy poverty and a lack of access to clean, renewable energy, and (4) Climate change. The Biochar Fund : Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon http://scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=14&idContribution=3011 The broad smiles of 1500 subsistence farmers say it all ( that , and the size of the Biochar corn root balls ) http://biocharfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=75 Mark my words; Given the potential for Laurens Rademaker's programs to grow exponentially, only a short time lies between This man's nomination for a Noble Prize. This authoritative PNAS article should cause the recent Royal Society Report to rethink their criticism of Biochar systems of Soil carbon sequestration; Reducing abrupt climate change risk using the Montreal Protocol and other regulatory actions to complement cuts in CO2 emissions http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/09/0902568106.full.pdf+html There are dozens soil researchers on the subject now at USDA-ARS. and many studies at The up coming ASA-CSSA-SSSA joint meeting; http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Session5675.html Research: The Ozzie's for 5 years now in field studies The future of biochar - Project Rainbow Bee Eater http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20090211-20142.html The Japanese have been at it dacades: Japan Biochar Association ; http://www.geocities.jp/yasizato/pioneer.htm UK Biochar Research Centre http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/sccs/biochar/ Virginia Tech is in their 4 th year with the Carbon Char Group's "CharGrow" formulated bagged product. An idea whose time has come | Carbon Char Group He said the 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 - 5 cups (2 - 5%) "CharGrow" per cubic foot of growing medium. http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performance Dr. Rory Maguire, In first year with Poultry litter char USDA in their 2 nd year; "Novak, Jeff" , & "david laird" , There are dozens soil researchers on the subject now at USDA-ARS. and many studies at The up coming ASA-CSSA-SSSA joint meeting; http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Session5675.html Nikolaus has been at it 4 years. Nikolaus Foidl, His current work with aspirin is Amazing in Maize, 250% yield gains, 15 cobs per plant; http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/content/trials-maize-reactivating-dormant-genes-using-high-doses-salicylic-acid-and-charcoal My 09 field trials with the Rodale Institute & JMU ; Alterna Biocarbon and Cowboy Charcoal Virginia field trials '09 http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/node/1408 Reverse-Geo-Engineering & Prayer It's a real shame that biochar is grouped with "Geo-Engineering". Even as it is, it gets fourth or worse billing behind infrastructurally impossible schemes. I would much rather see it framed as it is in this PNAS report (by a Nobel lariat) which should cause the Royal Society to rethink their report that criticized Biochar systems sequestration potential; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Reducing abrupt climate change risk using the Montreal Protocol and other regulatory actions to complement cuts in CO2 emissions http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/09/0902568106.full.pdf+html Biochar is more reverse-Geo-Engineering. This is why Dr. W.Ruddiman's work at UVA, boldly showing that Combustion & Ag technology engineering need mitigation, with IMHO, biochar and land-management the perfect logical choice. Hopefully as more in-depth scrutiny and elucidation of biochar systems, relative to the other climate manipulations advanced, will bear out this truth that we just plan to but the carbon back where it came from. I feel Terra Preta soil technology is the greatest of Ironies since Tobacco. That is: an invention of pre-Columbian American culture, destroyed by western disease, may well be the savior of industrial western society. As inversely Tobacco, over time has gotten back at same society by killing more of us than the entire pre-Columbian population. The Terra Preta Prayer Our Carbon who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name By kingdom come, thy will be done, IN the Earth to make it Heaven. It will give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our atmospheric trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against the Kyoto protocols And lead us not into fossil fuel temptation, but deliver us from it's evil low as we walk through the valley of the shadow of Global Warming, I will feel no evil, your Bio-fuels and fertile microbes will comfort me, For thine is the fungal kingdom, and the microbe power, and the Sequestration Glory, For ever and ever (well at least 2000 years) AMEN Your Chartarian, Erich

Author:
new_biochar_land

Date Posted:
02/15/11 06:07 PM

The world is a great place, but it is falling apart and we all are responsable for this. Be responsable now and try to make it better. Biochar, one of the newest option can contribuate to atmospheric CO2 reduction. Find out more: http://www.biochar-books.com The Biochar Revolution is exactly what it says !