Terra Preta Soil Technology

[Erich]

I thought you may be interested in Terra Preta Soils and the roll they could play in establishing a sustainable agricultural technology.

 

I feel we should push for this Terra Preta Soils CO2 sequestration strategy as not only a global warming remedy for the first world, but to solve fertilization and transport issues for the third world. This information needs to be shared with all the state programs.

 

The economics look good, and truly great if we had CO2 cap & trade in place:

 

These are processes where you can have your Bio-fuel and fertility too.

 

'Terra Preta' soils I feel has great possibilities to revolutionize sustainable agriculture into a major CO2 sequestration strategy.

I thought, I first read about these soils in " Botany of Desire " or "Guns,Germs,&Steel" but I could not find reference to them. I finely found the reference in "1491", but I did not realize their potential .

 

 

Nature article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7103/full/442624a.html

 

 

Here's the Cornell page for an over view:

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehm...r_home.htm

 

This Earth Science Forum thread on these soil contains further links ( I post everything I find on Amazon Dark Soils, ADS here):

http://forums.hypography.com/earth-science/3451-terra-preta.html

 

 

The Georgia Inst. of Technology page:

http://www.energy.gatech.edu/presentations/dday.pdf

 

There is an ecology going on in these soils that is not completely understood, and if replicated and applied at scale would have multiple benefits for farmers and environmentalist.

 

Terra Preta creates a terrestrial carbon reef at a microscopic level. These nanoscale structures provide safe haven to the microbes and fungus that facilitate fertile soil creation, while sequestering carbon for many hundred if not thousands of years. The combination of these two forms of sequestration would also increase the growth rate and natural sequestration effort of growing plants.

 

Also, Terra Preta was on the Agenda at this years world Soil Science Conference !

http://crops.confex.com/crops/wc2006/te...P16274.HTM

 

 

 

Here is a great article that high lights this pyrolysis process , ( http://www.eprida.com/hydro/ ) which could use existing infrastructure to provide Charcoal sustainable Agriculture , Syn-Fuels, and a variation of this process would also work as well for H2 , Charcoal-Fertilizer, while sequestering CO2 from Coal fired plants to build soils at large scales , be sure to read the "See an initial analysis NEW" link of this technology to clean up Coal fired power plants.

 

Soil erosion, energy scarcity, excess greenhouse gas all answered through regenerative carbon management http://www.newfarm.org/columns/research_paul/2006/0106/charcoal.shtml

 

.

If pre Columbian Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over 20% of the Amazon basin it seems that your energy and agricultural industries could also product them at scale.

 

Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the whole equation of EROEI for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels for fertilizer.

 

We need this super community of wee beasties to work in concert with us by populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos.

 

 

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 than the entire pre-Columbian population.

 

 

Erich J. Knight

[michael]

Hi erich

 

People may be interested in this

If you're in NSW, you might be able to check out the International Agrichar Initiative 2007 Conference... This is basically a conference for those interested in scaling up terra preta technology...

 

iaiconference.org/home.html

 

From the site:

 

April 29 - May 2, 2007

Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia

I wrote last week for details but so far no answer.

[Erich]

I spoke with the author of a Terra Preta (TP) story in Solar Today, Ron Larson ,

http://www.solartoday.org/2006/nov_d...CornerND06.pdf

he said he spoke with a major National Geographic editor, who is preparing a big article on TP. but Doesn't know when it will be out.

 

Also

In E. O. Wilson's 'The Future of Life' he opens the book with a letter to Thoreau updating him on our current understanding of the nature of the ecology of the soils at Walden Pond.

 

 

' These arthropods are the giants of the microcosm (if you will allow me to continue what has turned into a short lecture). Creatures their size are present in dozens-hundreds, if an ant or termite colony is presents. But these are comparatively trivial numbers. If you focus down by a power of ten in size, enough to pick out animals barely visible to the naked eye, the numbers jump to thousands. Nematode and enchytraied pot worms, mites, springtails, pauropods, diplurans, symphylans, and tardigrades seethe in the underground. Scattered out on a white ground cloth, each crawling speck becomes a full-blown animal. Together they are far more striking and divers in appearance than snakes, mice, sparrows, and all the other vertebrates hereabouts combined. Their home is a labyrinth of miniature caves and walls of rotting vegetable debris cross-strung with ten yards of fungal threads. And they are just the surface of the fauna and flora at our feet. Keep going, keep magnifying until the eye penetrates microscopic water films on grains of sand, and there you will find ten billion bacteria in a thimbleful of soil and frass. You will have reached the energy base of the decomposer world as we understand it 150 years after you sojourn in Walden Woods.'

 

 

Certainly there remains much work to just characterize all the estimated 1000 species of microbes found in a pinch of soil, and Wilson concludes at the end of the prolog that

'Now it is up to us to summon a more encompassing wisdom.'

 

I wonder what the soil biome was REALLY like before the cutting and charcoaling of the virgin east coast forest, my guess is that now we see a severely diminished community, and that only very recent Ag practices like no-till have helped to rebuild it.

 

I found this study in this TP forum :http://forums.hypography.com/earth-s...-preta-26.html

 

First-ever estimate of total bacteria on earth

http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et0998/et0998s8.html

[Airmid]

Since most of your links are either broken or restricted access, I've been looking for some new ones:

Wiki

Interview with J. Lehmann

J. Lehmann's page

 

Personally, I'd wait a bit before we declare this to be the holy grail of farming. However, I think this could be a very good solution for the management of tropical soils. Tropical soils are notorious: they have high rates of nutrient loss through erosion and leeching and have a reduced capacity to retain moisture. Adding organic material to these soils helps to overcome these problems. But with the fast decomposion rates in the tropics the effect doesn't last. Therefore, mixing a more resistant form of carbon into these soils sounds like a good idea.

I'm more sceptical about the benefit for other regions. For instance, soils in my region already contain quite a bit of carbon, and I doubt if adding more to it will improve yields. But it might also work for (tropical) Africa, and I think it's important to research that possibility, especially if the char can be produced locally.

 

Airmid.

[Erich]

RE: Nature Article — the link given on the previous page,will not allow access without being a subscriber to Nature.

 

I posted it Before Nature started requiring a subscribing membership, here is a link to the original pdf version. The pdf version is still accessible without a membership.

 

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7103/pdf/442624a.pdf

[Erich]

This forum I treat as my central data base on TP soils:

 

http://forums.hypography.com/earth-science/3451-terra-preta-27.html

[Erich]

I thought the current news and links on Terra Preta (TP)soils and closed-loop pyrolysis of Biomass would interest you.

 

Terra Preta Soils Technology To Master the Carbon Cycle

 

This technology represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.Terra Preta Soils a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration, 1/3 Lower Methane CH4 & Nitrosoxide N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.

Thanks,

Erich

 

SCIAM Article May 15 07;

 

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=5670236C-E7F2-99DF-3E2163B9FB144E40

 

 

 

After many years of reviewing solutions to anthropogenic global warming (AGW) I believe this technology can manage Carbon for the greatest collective benefit at the lowest economic price, on vast scales. It just needs to be seen by ethical globally minded companies.

 

Could you please consider looking for a champion for this orphaned Terra Preta Carbon Soil Technology.

 

The main hurtle now is to change the current perspective held by the IPCC that the soil carbon cycle is a wash, to one in which soil can be used as a massive and ubiquitous Carbon sink via Charcoal. Below are the first concrete steps in that direction;

 

S.1884 – The Salazar Harvesting Energy Act of 2007

 

A Summary of Biochar Provisions in S.1884:

 

Carbon-Negative Biomass Energy and Soil Quality Initiative

 

for the 2007 Farm Bill

 

http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformationevents/newlegislation.html

 

(...PLEASE!!..........Contact your Senators & Repps in Support of S.1884........NOW!!...)

 

Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.

 

Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Biomass by 2030by Ralph P. Overend, Ph.D. and Anelia Milbrandt

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

 

http://www.ases.org/climatechange/toc/07_biomass.pdf

 

The organization 25x25 (see 25x'25 - Home) released it's (first-ever, 55-page )"Action Plan" ; see; http://www.25x25.org/storage/25x25/documents/IP%20Documents/ActionPlanFinalWEB_04-19-07.pdf

On page 29 , as one of four foci for recommended RD&D, the plan lists: "The development of biochar, animal agriculture residues and other non-fossil fuel based fertilizers, toward the end of integrating energy production with enhanced soil quality and carbon sequestration."

and on p 32, recommended as part of an expanded database aspect of infrastructure: "Information on the application of carbon as fertilizer and existing carbon credit trading systems."

 

I feel 25x25 is now the premier US advocacy organization for all forms of renewable energy, but way out in front on biomass topics.

 

 

 

There are 24 billion tons of carbon controlled by man in his agriculture and waste stream, all that farm & cellulose waste which is now dumped to rot or digested or combusted and ultimately returned to the atmosphere as GHG should be returned to the Soil.

 

Even with all the big corporations coming to the GHG negotiation table, like Exxon, Alcoa, .etc, we still need to keep watch as they try to influence how carbon management is legislated in the USA. Carbon must have a fair price, that fair price and the changes in the view of how the soil carbon cycle now can be used as a massive sink verses it now being viewed as a wash, will be of particular value to farmers and a global cool breath of fresh air for us all.

 

If you have any other questions please feel free to call me or visit the TP web site I've been drafted to co-administer. http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node

 

It has been immensely gratifying to see all the major players join the mail list , Cornell folks, T. Beer of Kings Ford Charcoal (Clorox), Novozyne the M-Roots guys(fungus), chemical engineers, Dr. Danny Day of EPRIDA , Dr. Antal of U. of H., Virginia Tech folks and probably many others who's back round I don't know have joined.

 

 

 

Also Here is the Latest BIG Terra Preta Soil news;

 

The Honolulu Advertiser: “The nation's leading manufacturer of charcoal has licensed a University of Hawai'i process for turning green waste into barbecue briquets.”

 

See: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007707280348

 

 

 

ConocoPhillips Establishes $22.5 Million Pyrolysis Program at Iowa State 04/10/07

 

Glomalin, the recently discovered soil protien, may be the secret to to TP soils productivity;

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/030205.htm

 

 

 

 

Here is my current Terra Preta posting which condenses the most important stories and links;

 

Terra Preta Soils Technology To Master the Carbon Cycle

 

Man has been controlling the carbon cycle , and there for the weather, since the invention of agriculture, all be it was as unintentional, as our current airliner contrails are in affecting global dimming. This unintentional warm stability in climate has over 10,000 years, allowed us to develop to the point that now we know what we did,............ and that now......... we are over doing it.

 

The prehistoric and historic records gives a logical thrust for soil carbon sequestration.

I wonder what the soil biome carbon concentration was REALLY like before the cutting and burning of the world's forest, my guess is that now we see a severely diminished community, and that only very recent Ag practices like no-till and reforestation have started to help rebuild it. It makes implementing Terra Preta soil technology like an act of penitence, a returning of the misplaced carbon to where it belongs.

 

On the Scale of CO2 remediation:

 

It is my understanding that atmospheric CO2 stands at 379 PPM, to stabilize the climate we need to reduce it to 350 PPM by the removal of 230 Billion tons of carbon.

 

The best estimates I've found are that the total loss of forest and soil carbon (combined

pre-industrial and industrial) has been about 200-240 billion tons. Of

that, the soils are estimated to account for about 1/3, and the vegetation

the other 2/3.

 

Since man controls 24 billion tons in his agriculture then it seems we have plenty to work with in sequestering our fossil fuel CO2 emissions as stable charcoal in the soil.

 

As Dr. Lehmann at Cornell points out, "Closed-Loop Pyrolysis systems such as Dr. Danny Day's are the only way to make a fuel that is actually carbon negative". and that " a strategy combining biochar with biofuels could ultimately offset 9.5 billion tons of carbon per year-an amount equal to the total current fossil fuel emissions! "

 

Terra Preta Soils Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration, 1/3 Lower CH4 & N2O soil emissions, and 3X FertilityToo

 

 

This some what orphaned new soil technology speaks to so many different interests and disciplines that it has not been embraced fully by any. I'm sure you will see both the potential of this system and the convergence needed for it's implementation.

 

The integrated energy strategy offered by Charcoal based Terra Preta Soil technology may

provide the only path to sustain our agricultural and fossil fueled power

structure without climate degradation, other than nuclear power.

 

The economics look good, and truly great if we had CO2 cap & trade or a Carbon tax in place.

 

 

.Nature article, Aug 06: Putting the carbon back Black is the new green:

http://bestenergies.com/downloads/naturemag_200604.pdf

 

Here's the Cornell page for an over view:

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/biochar/Biochar_home.htm

 

University of Beyreuth TP Program, Germany http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=taxonomy/term/118

 

This Earth Science Forum thread on these soils contains further links, and has been viewed by 19,000 self-selected folks. ( I post everything I find on Amazon Dark Soils, ADS here):

http://forums.hypography.com/earth-science/3451-terra-preta.html

 

 

 

There is an ecology going on in these soils that is not completely understood, and if replicated and applied at scale would have multiple benefits for farmers and environmentalist.

 

Terra Preta creates a terrestrial carbon reef at a microscopic level. These nanoscale structures provide safe haven to the microbes and fungus that facilitate fertile soil creation, while sequestering carbon for many hundred if not thousands of years. The combination of these two forms of sequestration would also increase the growth rate and natural sequestration effort of growing plants.

 

 

The reason TP has elicited such interest on the Agricultural/horticultural side of it's benefits is this one static:

 

One gram of charcoal cooked to 650 C Has a surface area of 400 m2 (for soil microbes & fungus to live on), now for conversion fun:

 

One ton of charcoal has a surface area of 400,000 Acres!! which is equal to 625 square miles!! Rockingham Co. VA. , where I live, is only 851 Sq. miles

 

Now at a middle of the road application rate of 2 lbs/sq ft (which equals 1000 sqft/ton) or 43 tons/acre yields 26,000 Sq miles of surface area per Acre. VA is 39,594 Sq miles.

 

What this suggest to me is a potential of sequestering virgin forest amounts of carbon just in the soil alone, without counting the forest on top.

 

To take just one fairly representative example, in the classic Rothampstead experiments in England where arable land was allowed to revert to deciduous temperate woodland, soil organic carbon increased 300-400% from around 20 t/ha to 60-80 t/ha (or about 20-40 tons per acre) in less than a century (Jenkinson & Rayner 1977). The rapidity with which organic carbon can build up in soils is also indicated by examples of buried steppe soils formed during short-lived interstadial phases in Russia and Ukraine. Even though such warm, relatively moist phases usually lasted only a few hundred years, and started out from the skeletal loess desert/semi-desert soils of glacial conditions (with which they are inter-leaved), these buried steppe soils have all the rich organic content of a present-day chernozem soil that has had many thousands of years to build up its carbon (E. Zelikson, Russian Academy of Sciences, pers. comm., May 1994). http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/carbon1.html

 

 

 

 

All the Bio-Char Companies and equipment manufactures I've found:

 

Carbon Diversion

http://www.carbondiversion.com/

 

 

Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns

http://www.eprida.com/home/index.php4

 

BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable Ene

http://www.bestenergies.com/companies/bestpyrolysis.html

 

 

Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of Energy

http://www.dynamotive.com/

 

Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly Energy and Chemicals

http://www.ensyn.com/who/ensyn.htm

 

Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural waste

http://www.agri-therm.com/

 

Advanced BioRefinery Inc.

http://www.advbiorefineryinc.ca/

 

Technology Review: Turning Slash into Cash

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17298/

 

 

3R Environmental Technologies Ltd. (Edward Someus)

WEB: http://www.terrenum.net/

 

The company has Swedish origin and developing/designing medium and large scale carbonization units. The company is the licensor and technology provider to NviroClean Tech Ltd British American organization WEB: http://www.nvirocleantech.com and VERTUS Ltd.

http://www.vertustechnologies.com

 

The International Agrichar Initiative (IAI) conference held at Terrigal, NSW, Australia in 2007. ( http://iaiconference.org/home.html ) ( The papers from this conference are now being posted at their home page)

.

 

If pre-Columbian Kayopo Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over 15% of the Amazon basin using "Slash & CHAR" verses "Slash & Burn", it seems that our energy and agricultural industries could also product them at scale.

 

Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the whole equation of energy return over energy input (EROEI) for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels for fertilizer.

 

We need this super community of wee beasties to work in concert with us by populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos.

 

 

 

 

Erich J. Knight

Shenandoah Gardens

1047 Dave Berry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

(540) 289-9750

shengar@aol.com

[iNow]

Thanks for the update, Erich. I'm glad to see you are still working so diligently on this. Over the recent holiday weekend, Home Depot had some natural lump charcoal on sale for barbequing, but I picked up about 6 bags to instead assist me with my planting in the spring. It's guys like you who have helped me better understand the beauty of the black earth, and I thank you for it.

 

All the best!

[Erich]

THANKS.........iNOW, Kind words like yours makes my efforts rewarding.

 

My most recent Rewarding moments;

 

I was contacted by a journalist for the New York Times, wanting to do a carbon to the soil story. She was crest fallen when I told her that SCIAM did a Terra Preta article in May, she wanted an exclusive. I sent her all my links and she will be pitching the story to her editor for a full assignment. I comforted her by saying that no major paper had done a TP story and that hardly anyone but academics read Nature and SCIAM. CROSS YOUR FINGERS.........This could start balls rolling.........

 

NYT;

 

Circulation 1,120,420 Daily

1,627,062 Sunday

 

 

 

 

Last week I sent a post to Michael Pollan ( "The Botany of Desire", A Plants-Eye View of the World & "The Omnivore's Dilemma," ), He has been writing columns for the NYT on food & agriculture.

This kind reply I just received, Below. If the NYT journalist who contacted me last week doesn't come through maybe Mr. Pollan will cover TP in the food columns he has been writing for the NYT. Let's hope he delves deeply.

 

"Erich: Got your message and look forward to delving into the subject,

which I was introduced to by Charles Mann. Thanks! Michael

On Nov 5, 2007, at 9:18 AM, Erich J. Knight wrote:"

 

 

Getting an "!" from Michael Pollan.......... Just made my week

 

 

 

 

I also spoke with the head process engineer for KingsFord Charcoal (Clorox), Thomas Beer, (I sent him my TP post a year ago, His reply "Interesting Proposition")

Clorox Has licenced Dr.Micheal Antal's Plasma carbonization process at U of H. .

He is quite supportive, and is sending me the specifications and cost of truck loads of char from their retorts in West Virginia. Field trials here I come!

 

Erich

[Erich]

UN Climate Change Conference: Biochar present at the Bali Conference

 

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/steinerbalinov2107

 

Dynamotive to build fully commercial fast-pyrolysis biofuel plant in Missouri

12/05/07

 

 

"200 tons per day of wood by-products and residues from nearby sawmills into 34,000 gallons per day of bio-oil "

 

I'm guessing the char would be about 30 tons / day?

 

In Argentina, $50 million for 15.7 Megawatt Plant, a bit costly per Megawatt;

 

"Each complex will be comprised of a 15.7 megawatt electricity generating station powered by the majority of the fuel output of two 200-ton-per-day modular plants producing bio-oil from wood waste and residues from nearby forests and other biomass residue. Excess bio-oil produced at these facilities will be sold into commercial and industrial fuel markets"

 

http://biopact.com/2007/12/dynamotive-to-build-fully-commercial.html

 

Concerning building cost per Megawatt, depending on the numbers they state;

In Argentina, $50 million for each 15.7 Megawatt Plant, would be about 3 $million / MW. I thought that seemed high, but after checking it compares well with current cost of other plant building cost;

PV-Solar .......... 8 million / MW

Solar-Thermal.... 6 million / MW

Coal..................1.5 million / MW

 

At larger efficiencies of scale, Dynamotives modular approach may even match Coal fired plant building cost.

I don't know the operation cost there, but when we finally get paid (say $80/ton for Carbon) $3000 / day , operational cost should also look good.

 

 

Erich J. Knight

Shenandoah Gardens

1047 Dave Berry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

(540) 289-9750

shengar@aol.com

[scalbers]

Great. I wonder how well attended this was and if any video may be available? There is archived video of much of the Bali conference on the UN website, though I haven't seen this particular side event listed.

[jryan]

There is an ecology going on in these soils that is not completely understood, and if replicated and applied at scale would have multiple benefits for farmers and environmentalist.

 

Does this statement not breed fear in anyone elses mind?

[iNow]

Does this statement not breed fear in anyone elses mind?

 

Not sure what you mean there. Can you elaborate?

[jryan]

The idea of replicating something on scale before the process is known seems foolish.

[iNow]

The idea of replicating something on scale before the process is known seems foolish.

 

It might be of interest to you to look at the links Erich has shared. This is far from foolish and far from an unknown process.

 

Cheers.

[Reaper]

The idea of replicating something on scale before the process is known seems foolish.

 

Just because it is not completely understood doesn't mean we don't know anything about it.

[scalbers]

Here's a link to another post (and thread) in this forum that wandered to this topic:

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showpost.php?p=383528&postcount=39

[Erich]

Biochar Update

 

Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic, has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage to solve climate change.

I think Biochar has climbed the pinnacle, the Combined English and other language circulation of NGM is nearly nine million monthly with more than fifty million readers monthly!

We need to encourage more coverage now, to ride Mann's coattails to public critical mass.

 

Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague's ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20...soil/mann-text

 

I love the "MEGO" factor theme Mann built the story around. Lord... how I KNOW that reaction.

 

I like his characterization concerning the pot shards found in Terra Preta soils;

 

so filled with pottery - "It was as if the river's first inhabitants had

thrown a huge, rowdy frat party, smashing every plate in sight, then

buried the evidence."

 

A couple of researchers I was not aware of were quoted, and I'll be sending them posts about our Biochar group:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/b...guid=122501696

 

and data base;

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node

 

 

 

I also have been trying to convince Michael Pollan ( NYT Food Columnist, Author ) to do a follow up story, with pleading emails to him

 

Since the NGM cover reads "WHERE FOOD BEGINS" , I thought this would be right down his alley and focus more attention on Mann's work.

 

I've admiried his ability since "Botany of Desire" to over come the "MEGO" factor (My Eyes Glaze Over) and make food & agriculture into page turners.

 

It's what Mann hasn't covered that I thought should interest any writer as a follow up article.

 

The Biochar provisions by Sen.Ken Salazar in the 07 & 08 farm bill,

 

http://www.biochar-international.org...gislation.html

 

Dr, James Hansen's Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference last month, and coming article in Science, with Biochar land management center stage.

http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf

 

The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils

 

Glomalin's role in soil tilth & Terra Preta,

 

The International Biochar Initiative Conference Sept 8 in New Castle;

http://www.biochar-international.org...onference.html

 

 

Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?

 

Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!

 

This technology represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.

Terra Preta Soils 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.

 

 

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

 

Cheers,

Erich

 

Erich J. Knight

540 289 9750

 

P.S. : Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;

 

578-I: http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am...ssion4231.html

 

579-II http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am...ssion4496.html

 

665 - III. http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am...ssion4497.html

 

666-IV http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am...ssion4498.html

 

Most all this work corroborates char soil 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.

 

Johannes Lehmann <cl273@cornell.edu> recent work;

 

Mycorrhizal responses to biochar in soil – concepts

and mechanisms

Daniel D. Warnock & Johannes Lehmann &

Thomas W. Kuyper & Matthias C. Rillig

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/l...%20Warnock.pdf

Modify post Inline

[Mr Skeptic]

Erich, thanks for all those links. However, if you notice, some of them have "..." in them and are broken.

[Erich]

Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic, has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage.

I think Biochar has climbed the pinnacle, the Combined English and other language circulation of NGM is nearly nine million monthly with more than fifty million readers monthly!

We need to encourage more coverage now, to ride Mann's coattails to public critical mass.

 

Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague's ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text

 

I love the "MEGO" factor theme Mann built the story around. Lord... how I KNOW that reaction.

 

I like his characterization concerning the pot shards found in Terra Preta soils;

 

so filled with pottery - "It was as if the river's first inhabitants had

thrown a huge, rowdy frat party, smashing every plate in sight, then

buried the evidence."

 

A couple of researchers I was not aware of were quoted, and I'll be sending them posts about our Biochar group:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/?yguid=122501696

 

and data base;

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node

 

 

 

I also have been trying to convince Michael Pollan ( NYT Food Columnist, Author ) to do a follow up story, with pleading emails to him

 

 

Since the NGM cover reads "WHERE FOOD BEGINS" , I thought this would be right down his alley and focus more attention on Mann's work.

 

I've admiried his ability since "Botany of Desire" to over come the "MEGO" factor (My Eyes Glaze Over) and make food & agriculture into page turners.

 

It's what Mann hasn't covered that I thought should interest any writer as a follow up article.

 

The Biochar provisions by Sen.Ken Salazar in the 07 farm bill,

 

http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformationevents/newlegislation.html

 

Dr, James Hansen's Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference last month, and coming article in Science,

http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf

 

The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils

 

Glomalin's role in soil tilth & Terra Preta,

 

The International Biochar Initiative Conference Sept 8 in New Castle;

http://www.biochar-international.org/ibi2008conference/aboutibi2008conference.html

 

 

Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?

 

Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!

 

This technology represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.

Terra Preta Soils 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.

 

 

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

 

Erich J. Knight

540 289 9750

 

 

Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;

 

578-I: http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4231.html

 

579-II http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4496.html

 

665 - III. http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4497.html

 

666-IV http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4498.html

 

Most all this work corroborates char soil 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.

 

 

Johannes Lehmann <cl273@cornell.edu> recent work;

 

Mycorrhizal responses to biochar in soil – concepts

and mechanisms

Daniel D. Warnock & Johannes Lehmann &

Thomas W. Kuyper & Matthias C. Rillig

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/PlantSoil%20300,%209-20,%202007,%20Warnock.pdf

[Erich]

Yes the oil and gas are hard on even converted IC engines powering the gen/sets. Much work is going on to further refine to bio-diesel and gas clean up.

 

I feel the simple way will be with Sterling external combustion engines .

 

 

 

Funny you should ask about M. Pollan;

 

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

[iNow]

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.

 

<...>

 

Michael Pollan

to me

 

Reply

 

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

Nice work, Erich!

 

 

 

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

 

+1 already done.

[scalbers]

New documentary relating to Terra Preta on the National Geographic Channel:

 

Superdirt Made Lost Amazon Cities Possible?

[Erich]

BREAKING NEWS!

 

Biochar, the carbon-negative soil-improving energy biproduct, has made an incredible series of breakthroughs at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland.

 

The International Biochar Initiative, http://www.biochar-international.org, announced today that Biochar is now being examined by the UNFCCC (United Nations Council on Climate Change) for status as part of the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism.)

 

It's verifiable, it produces clean energy, it improves soils, it reverses desertification, it improves water quality, it could drive millions out of poverty, and it may be one of humanity's single greatest tools for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

 

A copy of the proposal is posted on the IBI website at

http://www.biochar-international.org/ibimaterialsforpress.html.

[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.