Lobby For Terra Preta

[Michaelangelica]

A one page word handout That you could give to charcoal Chicken or other Charcoal shops.

 

Uses of Charcoal in Horticulture and Gardening.

Charcoal has been used for horticultural purposes for at least two thousand years,

archaeological research has come up with evidence of charcoal being used as a soil

ameliorator in the Amazon basin around the time of Christ. (Do a web search for "Terra preta" for more information)

Green keepers of golf and bowling clubs used charcoal extensively as a top dressing but

in recent years this has been substituted by sharp sand, the reason may have been that

the demise of the British charcoal industry caused a shortage in supplies of the correct

grades. Fine charcoal powder used on lawns (golf) absorbs and eliminates excess

amounts of fertilizer and chemicals present in the soil

.

Charcoal was widely available from horticultural sundriesmen up until the late 1960's,

for use mainly in bulb fibre where the pots do not have drainage holes. The charcoal was

said to keep the compost 'sweet'.

 

Orchid growing employs the use of charcoal and specialist growers of carnations and

pinks find charcoal to be invaluable.

Research has shown that growing mediums that have charcoal present, are able to buffer

the effects of sporadic watering, by reducing the frequency of watering whilst helping to

prevent 'damping off'

Charcoal also reduces the leaching of fertilise in free draining soils as the charcoal's porous carbon structure enables the nutrients to be held for slower release to the plants

.

The inclusion of charcoal in open seedbeds showed that it facilitates the uptake of

nutrients. Calcium uptake almost doubles, with significant increases in potassium,

magnesium and phosphorus, the pH increases slightly and there is an obvious increase

in organic matter.

 

Charcoal has been recommended as part of the treatment for the eradication of a fungal

disease, Cylindrocladium that infects Box hedges.

Charcoal has proved to be an ideal renewable substitute for perlite and vermiculite,

compost additives used to increase aeration and aid drainage, but both finite resources.

The currently favoured water retaining gels are not liked by all growers

and there are doubts about how well they actually release the water they have absorbed "Petunias in

hanging baskets tested in greenhouses showed no benefits when water-absorbing

polymers were used. And plants grown in media containing water-absorbing polymers

required watering just as often as plants grown in potting soil containing no water-

absorbing polymers. Also, their usable life is limited by the amounts of salt or fertilizers

in the soil

". Hence, charcoal could be used where watering may be a problem, e.g.

hanging baskets, or where it is hard to change the compost, e.g. in large tubs.

Charcoal could be incorporated into locally produced 'green compost'. No further

processing, other than simply grading would be required and transport costs would be

low. We have had preliminary discussions with Scarborough Borough Council about

adding fines to their Green Compost and they hope to do some simple trials in hanging

baskets.

The full article is here

cache:I0TgdV-gQ_UJ:www.visitthemoors.co.uk/uploads/publication/978.pdf - Google Scholar

See also

Terra Preta - Science Forums

and

Terrapreta mailing list

[email protected]

Terrapreta Info Page

Terra Preta | Intentional use of charcoal in soil

BioEnergy Discussion Lists

 

 

--

[scalbers]

I posted a mention about TP in this RealClimate Forum discussion - we'll see if I get a reaction once it is moderator approved (see #18).

 

RealClimate

[erich]

I posted this to Realclimate:

 

The co-benefits of Biochar must also be considered beyond Bio-fuel gains; 3X fertility,17% less water use, Massive fungi (Glomalin) and wee-beastie microbes to worms, are sequestered carbon adding to that of the Biochar which in Terra Preta soils has C13 tested to 7000 years.

 

Dr. Lukas reports 10X N2O soil emission reductions:

 

Beyond Zero Emissions interviews Dr Lukas Van Zweitan senior research scientist of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI). Who is working hand-on with soil research focusing on Bio Char (Terra Preta de Indio / Agri Char)

 

“we’ve found with some of the biochars in that we’ve had very, very significant reductions in nitrous oxide emissions from the soil; between five- and ten-fold reductions in nitrous oxide emissions.”

 

http://beyondzeroemissions.org/2008/03/21/lukas-van-zweiten-nsw-dpi-biochar-agrichar-terra-preta-soil-trials-zero-carbon

 

Erich

[scalbers]

Erich,

 

Interesting exchange over at RealClimate. Glad to see your post there - does the Beyond Zero Emissions link work OK? I get a page not found shown. The Dominic Woolf paper from January 2008 has some interesting details in it, and provides a good basis to discuss specific advantages and challenges. There are quotes in it about soil stability for 6000+ years and mentions of various Lehmann papers. I suppose one conclusion is that more research would be helpful to see how well TP can help in a variety of environments. One can easily follow the overall discussion in the thread by searching for "biochar".

 

RealClimate

 

And here is a link to the Dominic Woolf paper:

 

New report available online: "Biochar as a Soil Amendment - A review of the Environmental Implications" | Terra Preta

 

Steve

[erich]

More Carbon for Soils More Carbon for Crops - Carbon Negative Farming with Bio Char | Zero Emissions Climate Change Global Warming Solution

 

Here's a new link, I don't know what happens to these links, thanks for the heads-up

 

Erich

[erich]

Hi Listers,

In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, Farmer in Chief ( Michael Pollan Proposes A "Sun-Food" Agenda In Open Letter To Next U.S. President : TreeHugger ). The article is an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn't have written 8000 words.

 

Despite the snub, it looks like the article created enough of a buzz that it made it into Obama's stack of pre-election reading material...

 

In an interview with Joe Klein, ( Swampland - TIME.com Blog Archive The Full Obama Interview ) Obama refers to the article, explaining how Pollan's ideas fit into the concept of a new energy economy.

 

Obama's analysis of Pollan's message:

 

There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy. I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it's creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they're contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs. That's just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board.

 

 

 

 

This article prompted me to send M. Pollan another update on biochar research and genteel pleading to include Biochar technology in his next agriculture policy directive to the president;

 

"Dear Michael,

 

I can just see the bread crumb trail I believe/hope you are laying out in the NPR interview. Biochar will be the 8001th word, the grand finally of solutions?

The path your work has taken me on in human / plant interactions, the pleasurable and problematic seem solved by diversity and land management practices. We know that means food web/SOM management. The arguments for sustainability you put forward, if embraced, will lead to the biochar bread.

 

President Obama has already done so much to de-mystified, de-politicize and de-stigmatize the word black, I feel that "A Black Revolution in Agriculture" (as a recent article titled a biochar story), would be quite consistent with this achievement.

 

I spoke today with Dr. Johannes Lehmann 607 254 1236 , he is more than willing to layout all the new work to you.

 

Last year there were no biochar studies at the ACS conference, this year several dozen.

 

Biochar at ACS;

Most all this work corroborates char dynamics we have seen so far . The soil GHG emissions work showing increased CO2 , also speculates that this CO2 has to get through the hungry plants above before becoming a GHG.

The SOM, MYC & Microbes, N2O (soil structure), CH4 , nutrient holding , Nitrogen shock, humic compound conditioning, absorbing of herbicides all pretty much what we expected to hear.

 

Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;

 

578-I: Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: I. Classification, Formation, and Occurrence

 

579-II Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: II. Identification and Characteristics

 

665 - III. Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: III. Environmental Function

 

666-IV Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: IV. Stability and Carbon Sequestration Potential

 

 

 

Total CO2 Equivalence:

Even before the total CO2 equivalent credits are validated they should be on the product label. Once a commercial bagged soil amendment product, every suburban household can do it,

The label can tell them of their contribution, a 40# bag = 150# CO2 = 160 bags / year to cover my personal CO2 emissions.( 20,000 #/yr , 1/2 average)

Individual Emissions - Personal Emissions Calculator | Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | U.S. EPA

 

Full carbon credit validation should easily follow the path that has gained carbon credits for no-till practices.

 

But that is just the Carbon!

I have yet to find a total CO2 equivalent number taking consideration against some average field N2O & CH4 emissions. The New Zealand work shows 10X reductions.

If biochar also proves to be effective at reducing nutrient run-off from agricultural soils, then there will also be a reduction in downstream N2O emissions .

 

This ACS study implicates soil structure / N2O connection;

Paper: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils as Affected by Addition of Biochar.

 

Counting on the 8001th word

Erich

540 289 9750

 

 

 

Michael Pollan

to me

 

Reply

 

"Thanks-- look forward to digesting all this."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also,

 

The president has a website where he is taking in "your vision

for what America can be, where President Obama should lead

this country".

 

Change.gov | momentvision

 

I would encourage you to submit biochar visions from

your point of view. I would recommend mentioning more than

biochar. The form is set up to take input from other countries as

well.

 

Get Lobbying!

 

Erich

[Essay]

Hi Listers,

In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, Farmer in Chief ( Michael Pollan Proposes A "Sun-Food" Agenda In Open Letter To Next U.S. President : TreeHugger ). The article is an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn't have written 8000 words.

 

Despite the snub, it looks like the article created enough of a buzz that it made it into Obama's stack of pre-election reading material...

 

In an interview with Joe Klein, ( Swampland - TIME.com Blog Archive The Full Obama Interview ) Obama refers to the article, explaining how Pollan's ideas fit into the concept of a new energy economy.

 

Obama's analysis of Pollan's message:

 

There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy. I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it's creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they're contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs. That's just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board.

 

 

 

 

This article prompted me to send M. Pollan another update on biochar research and genteel pleading to include Biochar technology in his next agriculture policy directive to the president;

 

"Dear Michael,

 

I can just see the bread crumb trail I believe/hope you are laying out in the NPR interview. Biochar will be the 8001th word, the grand finally of solutions?

The path your work has taken me on in human / plant interactions, the pleasurable and problematic seem solved by diversity and land management practices. We know that means food web/SOM management. The arguments for sustainability you put forward, if embraced, will lead to the biochar bread.

 

President Obama has already done so much to de-mystified, de-politicize and de-stigmatize the word black, I feel that "A Black Revolution in Agriculture" (as a recent article titled a biochar story), would be quite consistent with this achievement.

 

I spoke today with Dr. Johannes Lehmann 607 254 1236 , he is more than willing to layout all the new work to you.

 

Last year there were no biochar studies at the ACS conference, this year several dozen.

 

Biochar at ACS;

Most all this work corroborates char dynamics we have seen so far . The soil GHG emissions work showing increased CO2 , also speculates that this CO2 has to get through the hungry plants above before becoming a GHG.

The SOM, MYC & Microbes, N2O (soil structure), CH4 , nutrient holding , Nitrogen shock, humic compound conditioning, absorbing of herbicides all pretty much what we expected to hear.

 

Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;

 

578-I: Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: I. Classification, Formation, and Occurrence

 

579-II Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: II. Identification and Characteristics

 

665 - III. Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: III. Environmental Function

 

666-IV Session: Symposium --Black Carbon in Soils and Sediments: IV. Stability and Carbon Sequestration Potential

 

 

 

Total CO2 Equivalence:

Even before the total CO2 equivalent credits are validated they should be on the product label. Once a commercial bagged soil amendment product, every suburban household can do it,

The label can tell them of their contribution, a 40# bag = 150# CO2 = 160 bags / year to cover my personal CO2 emissions.( 20,000 #/yr , 1/2 average)

Individual Emissions - Personal Emissions Calculator | Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | U.S. EPA

 

Full carbon credit validation should easily follow the path that has gained carbon credits for no-till practices.

 

But that is just the Carbon!

I have yet to find a total CO2 equivalent number taking consideration against some average field N2O & CH4 emissions. The New Zealand work shows 10X reductions.

If biochar also proves to be effective at reducing nutrient run-off from agricultural soils, then there will also be a reduction in downstream N2O emissions .

 

This ACS study implicates soil structure / N2O connection;

Paper: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils as Affected by Addition of Biochar.

 

Counting on the 8001th word

Erich

540 289 9750

 

 

 

Michael Pollan

to me

 

Reply

 

"Thanks-- look forward to digesting all this."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also,

 

The president has a website where he is taking in "your vision

for what America can be, where President Obama should lead

this country".

 

Change.gov | momentvision

 

I would encourage you to submit biochar visions from

your point of view. I would recommend mentioning more than

biochar. The form is set up to take input from other countries as

well.

 

Get Lobbying!

 

Erich

 

Wow! This is great! Thanks for all your work on this!!!!

 

...and this needs repeating:

~ :hihi:

 

 

 

Also,

 

The president has a website where he is taking in "your vision

for what America can be, where President Obama should lead

this country".

 

Change.gov | momentvision

I would encourage you to submit biochar visions from

your point of view. I would recommend mentioning more than

biochar. The form is set up to take input from other countries as

well.

 

Get Lobbying!

 

Erich

 

I'll reprise the wisdom from your post in my submission....

[erich]

From: Teryn Norris <[email protected]>

Date: Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 9:26 PM

Subject: Invitation to Innovation Policy Event

To: [email protected]

 

 

Dear Erich,

 

Barack Obama's recent statement that his first priority as president will be a new Apollo investment project for clean energy represents a tremendous and historic commitment to change by our national leadership.

 

The danger for Obama and the Democratic leadership is not that these investments are too bold and expensive, but that they are too small and timid. As Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman stated this week in the New York Times:

 

"F.D.R. thought he was being prudent by reining in his spending plans; in reality, he was taking big risks with the economy and with his legacy. My advice to the Obama people is to figure out how much help they think the economy needs, then add 50 percent. It's much better, in a depressed economy, to err on the side of too much stimulus than on the side of too little."

 

Now is our opportunity to act boldly and reinvent America. But which investments should we prioritize? How can these investments not only jumpstart the economy with short-term stimulus, but also make the long-term investments in innovation and productivity we need to drive the American economy for decades to come?

 

We invite you to join us in exploring these questions on December 1st in Washington DC, where the Breakthrough Institute is co-sponsoring an event to examine these issues with some of the country's top experts on innovation policy. Event and RSVP details can be found below. We encourage all of you that are able to attend this exciting event.

 

Hope to see you there!

Teryn Norris

 

---------------

 

How Will a New Administration and Congress

Support Innovation In An Economic Crisis?

 

A briefing sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Breakthrough Institute, University of California Washington Center, and Ford Foundation

 

Monday, December 1, 2008 - Washington D.C.

 

 

How much will an Obama Administration and the new Congress invest in efforts to unleash broader technological innovation in the United States? Does the economic crisis pose greater opportunities for investing in policies to spur technological innovation? What areas of federal innovation investment should be strengthened to help the U.S. rebuild its economy while still fostering advances in computers, nanotechnology, biotechnology, health, renewable energy, and other new industries? What institutional changes are needed to make innovation policy more effective?

 

Join business, technology, congressional, and academic leaders from around the country to answer these and other questions at a Washington D.C. briefing sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Breakthrough Institute, and University of California Washington Center and the Ford Foundation.

 

The day-long meeting will launch with release of a new report by Fred Block and Matthew Keller from the University of California, Davis that examines the role of the federal government in promoting innovations, the extent to which weaknesses in the U.S. system has affected deployment and implementation of new technologies, and what steps a new administration should take to ensure that the federal government plays a supportive and important role in innovation to foster global leadership. David Douglas of Sun Microsystems will join Victor Hwangof T2 Capital and Nicole Biggart, Dean of the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis, to react to the report and offer their perspectives on what pressing challenges face an incoming administration for expanding innovation capacity to help put people back to work, build new industries, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.

 

The day-long conference will also focus on innovations to promote energy independence and sustainability, and the political and economic obstacles facing creation of a world-class innovation system in the United States. (See full agenda below.)

 

When: Monday, December 1, 2008

9:30 - 5:00 p.m.

 

Where: University of California, Washington Center

1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.

 

 

Agenda Highlights:

 

9:30 a.m. - Noon - Rebuilding the U.S. Innovation System

 

Nicole Biggart, Dean, Graduate School of Business, University of California, Davis

Fred Block, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Davis

David Douglas, Senior Vice President, Sun Microsystems

Victor Hwang, Managing Partner, T2 Venture Capital

Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

 

 

1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - The Green Challenge: Investing in Innovation for Energy Independence and Sustainability

 

John Irons, Research and Policy Director, Economic Policy Institute

Robert Pollin, Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and author of Center for American Progress Green Recovery Report

Andrew Revkin, Reporter, New York Times

Daniel Sarewitz, Director, Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State University

Michael Piore, Professor MIT and author of Innovation--The Missing Dimension

Michael Shellenberger, President, Breakthrough Institute

 

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. - Overcoming Political and Economic Obstacles: Can the U.S. Create a World Class Innovation System?

 

Robert Berdahl, President, American Association of Universities

Ron Hira, Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology and author of Outsourcing America

Richard Nelson, Professor of Economics, Columbia University

Sean O'Riain, Professor of Sociology, National University of Ireland

Marc Stanley, Director of the Technology Innovation Program, U.S. Department of Commerce

 

RSVP for this December 1st conference online at: Burness Communications: New & Noteworthy: Save the Date: How Will a New Administration and Congress Support Innovation In An Economic Crisis? or by sending an email to [email protected]. For more information, please contact Staci Gorden at Burness Communications at 301-652-1558.

[erich]

This is the most important endorsement Biochar Land management has received!

 

I pulled out the the paragraphs that mention biochar from Jim Hansen's finished version :

 

P 227:

Carbon sequestration in soil also has significant potential.

Biochar, produced in pyrolysis of residues from crops, forestry,

and animal wastes, can be used to restore soil fertility

while storing carbon for centuries to millennia [84]. Biochar

helps soil retain nutrients and fertilizers, reducing emissions

of GHGs such as N2O [85]. Replacing slash-and-burn agriculture

with slash-and-char and use of agricultural and forestry

wastes for biochar production could provide a CO2

drawdown of ~8 ppm or more in half a century [85].

In the Supplementary Material Section we define a forest/

soil drawdown scenario that reaches 50 ppm by 2150

(Fig. 6b). This scenario returns CO2 below 350 ppm late this

century, after about 100 years above that level.

 

Supplementary material Page xvi:

Assumptions yielding the Forestry & Soil wedge in Fig. (6b)

are as follows. It is assumed that current net deforestation will

decline linearly to zero between 2010 and 2015. It is assumed

that uptake of carbon via reforestation will increase linearly until

2030, by which time reforestation will achieve a maximum

potential sequestration rate of 1.6 GtC per year [s37]. Waste

derived biochar application will be phased in linearly over the

period 2010-2020, by which time it will reach a maximum

uptake rate of 0.16 GtC/yr [85]. Thus after 2030 there will be

an annual uptake of 1.6 + 0.16 = 1.76 GtC per year, based on

the two processes described.

 

[85] Lehmann J, Gaunt J, Rondon M. Bio-char sequestration in

terrestrial ecosystems – a review. Mitig Adapt Strat Glob

Change 2006; 11: 403-27.

 

http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2008/2008_Hansen_etal.pdf

[Essay]

....

I would encourage you to submit biochar visions from

your point of view. I would recommend mentioning more than

biochar. The form is set up to take input from other countries as

well.

 

Get Lobbying!

 

Erich

 

This cause/petition was brought up at a community meeting today ...and not by me!

...but I certainly seconded the notion!

 

Food Democracy Now | Home

As our nation’s future president, we hope that you will take our concerns under advisement when nominating our next Secretary of Agriculture....

With this in mind, we are offering a list of leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to the goals that you articulated during your campaign and we encourage you to consider them for the role of Secretary of Agriculture.

 

The Sustainable Choice for the Next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

 

Gus Schumacher, Former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture.

Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director, Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, NE.

Sarah Vogel, former two-term Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of North Dakota, attorney, Bismarck, ND.

Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Ames, IA and President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY.

Mark Ritchie, current Minnesota Secretary of State, former policy analyst in Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture under Governor Rudy Perpich, co-founder of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Neil Hamilton, attorney, Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law and Professor of Law and Director, Agricultural Law Center, Drake University, Des Moines, IA.

 

This would be a fairly time-sensitive petition, but when I signed my copy, I added the comment that any of these folks would also serve well in other positions within Agriculture or the Administration.

 

~ ;)

[erich]

I may have a biochar jaundice ear , but........ President Obama's first few words as president included ;

SOIL!

Then later; the WARMING SPECTOR

Then later on foreign policy; make POOR FARMS FLOURISH

 

This sounds like he's laying out a path, pointing to a policy direction and practice , that to me screams for biochar

 

Dr. Robert Brown, at ISU to get Vilsack on the Biochar Bus.

 

Dr.Chu , I think is on board, at least by the interested reply I got from his Berkeley lab.

 

Good Political Signs

 

Cheers,

Erich

[Essay]

Fellow Citizens,

 

Join Michael Pollan’s Army! – Invite your Friends

 

Now that the inauguration is behind us, it’s time to get serious about change. President Obama has indicated that he will not be able to do it alone, that’s why it’s important to grow our movement.

 

Right now, if you’ve already signed the petition at Food Democracy Now! it’s more important than ever to get our allies to sign as well.

 

Already you have become a part of sustainable history. We just got the news that two of our Sustainable Dozen are under serious consideration for Deputy Secretary. In order to put Chuck Hassebrook or Karen Ross in a position to be able to implement sustainable change at the USDA you need to act now!

 

Invite all your friends to become a part of Michael Pollan’s Army! If we each get two or three friends to sign the petition we will reach the critical mass needed to create serious reform at the USDA.

 

Right now President Obama needs your help to Show Him the Movement! so he will be able to support family farmers going forward.

....

Go ask your friends to join Michael Pollan’s Army and give President Obama the reinforcement he needs.

 

Grow the movement. Act Now.

 

Be the Change!

 

Best,

David Murphy

Director, Food Democracy Now!

 

Food Democracy Now | Home

 

I think this is a way to support a sustainable future (including biochar).

They're still pushing....

I just got this email (above) today. It was full of hot links, but they just look like text here.

 

~ :)

[scalbers]

Interesting to see Al Gore's Senate testimony last week (see C-SPAN website for example). He indirectly mentions TP in saying that soil carbon sequestration is promising but not yet verifiable enough for full inclusion in the Copenhagen treaty negotiations.

 

Someone had recently "clued him in" that the black color in rich soil is from carbon. Excellent realization!

[erich]

Hi Guys,

 

Here's some current , Important policy & funding stuff: the UN recognizing soil carbon sinks, and Congressional Research Service Biochar Report.

 

 

 

UNCCD Submission to Climate Change/UNFCCC AWG-LCA 5

"Account carbon contained in soils and the importance of biochar (charcoal) in replenishing soil carbon pools, restoring soil fertility and enhancing the sequestration of CO2."

UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

 

 

 

 

 

R40186

Biochar: Examination of an Emerging Concept to Mitigate Climate Change

February 03, 2009

 

Download Locations:

 

Open CRS (User submitted)

 

Summary:

 

Biochar is a charcoal produced under high temperatures using crop residues, animal manure, or any type of organic waste material. Biochar looks very similar to potting soil. The combined production and use of biochar is considered a carbon-negative process, meaning that carbon is removed from the atmosphere and will not be released into the atmosphere at a later time. Biochar has multiple potential environmental benefits, foremost the potential to sequester carbon in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years at an estimate. Studies suggest that crop yields can increase as a result of applying biochar as a fertilizer to the soil. Some contend that biochar has value as an immediate climate change mitigation strategy. Scientific experiments suggest that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced significantly with biochar application to crop fields. Obstacles that may stall rapid adoption of biochar production systems include technology costs, system operation and maintenance, feedstock availability, and biochar handling. Biochar research and development is in its infancy. Nevertheless, interest in biochar as a multifaceted solution to agricultural and natural resource issues is growing at a rapid pace both nationally and internationally. Past Congresses have proposed numerous climate change bills, many of which do not directly address mitigation and adaptation technologies at developmental stages like biochar. However, biochar may equip agricultural and forestry producers with numerous revenue-generating products: carbon offsets, fertilizer, and energy. A clearly defined policy medium that supports this technology has yet to emerge (e.g., soil conservation, alternative energy, climate change). This report briefly describes biochar, its potential advantages and disadvantages, legislative support, and research and development activities underway in the United States and abroad.

 

XML

 

Biochar: Examination of an Emerging Concept to Mitigate Climate Change: Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People

[freeztar]

"Emerging concept"

Gotta love it. :hihi:

 

Thanks for the continual updates erich!

[erich]

The main thing the financial melt-down has taught us is the illusion of sustainable returns on capital of more than 10%.

Only ongoing, break through, technological invention or the exponential growth of biologic systems (Farming) can return double digits sustainably.

 

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 pertinence 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. The new cultural heroes, operating a Carbon banking system that

Pays Food Interest,

Insures dividends in Air, Land & Sea

and (with char) no one can start a run on this bank.

 

The Soil Carbon Sequestration Standard Committee next week will be testifying on climate to congress,

Give them your support; Soil Bug your representatives!

 

Scholarly articles for Soil Carbon Sequestration Standard Committee

Change in soil carbon following afforestation - Paul - Cited by 164

Management options for reducing CO2-concentrations in ... - Batjes - Cited by 62

The potential of US cropland to sequester carbon and ... - Lal - Cited by 522

Soil Carbon Sequestration Standard Committee - Google Search

 

 

 

Also ,

I would like Rebut the BioFuelWatch folk's recent criticisms with the petition of 1500 Cameroon Farmers;

The Biochar Fund

Biochar Fund - fighting hunger, deforestation, energy insecurity and climate change - Home

and to explain their program, Nice fllow charts;

Biochar Fund - fighting hunger, deforestation, energy insecurity and climate change - Biochar versus top-down schemes

 

One aspect of Biochar systems are Cheap, clean biomass stoves that produce biochar and no respiratory disease. At scale, the health benefits are greater than ending Malaria.

A great example;

http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/poznanclimatetalks/docs/Natural%20Draft%20Stove.pdf

 

Printable Hand-outs from IBI;

The International Biochar Initiative (IBI)

 

Erich

[erich]

Biochar Soil Technology

All Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) schemes are complicated and costly, we should use the one, not talked about, that has the CO2 collection & Carbon Sink infrastructure in place and working.

Biochar Soil sequestration takes advantage of in place photosynthetic collection facilities (PLANTS & Trees).

A ubiquitous Carbon sink we all have access to (Top SOIL)

 

The conversion technology is the only infrastructure we must build out and Pyrolysis is old hat technology.

 

Biochar Soil Technology fosters Husbandry of whole new orders of life.

Biotic Carbon, the carbon transformed by life, should never be combusted, oxidized and destroyed. It deserves more respect, reverence even, and understanding to use it back to the soil where 2/3 of excess atmospheric carbon originally came from.

 

It's hard for most to revere microbes and fungus, but from our toes to our gums (onward), their balanced ecology is our health. The greater earth and soils are just as dependent, at much longer time scales. Our farming for over 10,000 years has been responsible for 2/3rds of our excess greenhouse gases. This soil carbon, converted to carbon dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide began a slow stable warming that now accelerates with burning of fossil fuel.

 

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.

 

Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.

Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, 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.

As one microbiologist on the Biochar list said; "Microbes like to sit down when they eat".

By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders of life.