Terra Preta in the news

[erich]

Hi List,

We made the UNEP report.

 

However, I was disappointed this week that the first zero Carbon pledge by the president of the Maldive islands got no media attention, over shadowed by Our president's address and China's flexing it's new found Green muscles. Maybe China will serve to strengthen the president's hand, an environmental arms race, a "Cool" war, following the doctrine of Mutually Assured Sustainability.

 

Cheers

Erich

 

 

 

 

Washington/Nairobi, 24 September 2009 -The pace and scale of climate change may now be outstripping even the most sobering predictions of the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC).

 

Last Line:

 

" A number of innovative approaches are emerging to keep carbon out of the atmosphere, including the use of "biochar", biologically-derived charcoal. It is mixed in soils, increasing fertility and potentially locking up carbon for centuries. This is a 21st century application of a technology known as Terra Preta, or Black Earth, used by Amazon peoples before the arrival of Europeans in South America."

 

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

 

 

 

Climate Change Science Compendium 2009

Climate Change Science Compendium 2009 - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

 

"Forms of eco-agriculture have been practised in the past and at impressive

scales: Terra Preta soils of central Amazonia could provide tremendous

opportunities for multiple benefits (UNEP 2009). Large-scale generation and

utilization of nutrient-rich Terra Preta soils would decrease the necessity for

clearing new agricultural lands that require deforestation. Less deforestation

for agricultural lands would maintain biodiversity while mitigating both land

degradation and climate change and, if done properly, can alleviate waste

and sanitation problems in some communities (Glaser 2007)."

 

http://www.unep.org/compendium2009/PDF/Ch5_compendium2009.pdf

[Eclipse Now]

Not only that, but because charred chicken feathers behave like carbon-nano-tubes they may even be able to replace expensive nano-tubes and be used in carbon-fibre panelling, especially when mixed with soy-bean glue! These "green chemists" are blowing my mind because they think it might be strong enough to make wind-turbine blades! Chicken feathers and soy beans! Now I've heard everything.

 

Chicken Feathers Could Store Hydrogen

[maikeru]

Technology Review: Blogs: TR Editors' blog: Carbon Nanotubes Are Super Fertilizer

 

Carbon nanotubes can significantly boost germination and growth of tomato seedlings. Similar effect to biochar? The scientists attribute it to increased water uptake, but I suspect it might be more likely that the carbon nanotubes improved the media's CEC and nutrient uptake to the seedlings, IMO. However, seems carbon nanotubes may be toxic in a similar manner as asbestos, so use as a soil additive might be questionable (if not dangerous). As far as I know, biochar and other forms of charcoal do not have the same health or environmental concerns as nanotubes do.

[Eclipse Now]

< an aside >

How does one dispose of carbon nanotubes then?

< / an aside >

[erich]

Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon

 

Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon - Scitizen

 

Carbon Commentary · Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon

 

 

 

The broad smiles say it all ( that , and the size of the Biochar corn root balls)

 

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

 

Mark my words;

Given the potential for Lauren's programs to grow exponentialy, only a short time lies between This man's nomination for a Noble Prize.

 

An honor to have Laurens as a commenter on the Biochar list ,

 

Erich

[Michaelangelica]

Nano particles have the advantage and disadvantage of being so small.

Many, here, are worried by their inclusion in sunscreens and the fact they can readily pass directly into the body with unknown effects.

 

As in essence they are the same chemicals normally used, but in nano size, manufactures do not have to label that their ingredients are nano sized.

 

I am sure that bits of activated carbon would be close to nano sized, so breathing in charcoal dust, like most dusts (talc) and small particles, should be avoided 'procausionally'.

[Essay]

Progress; slow but sure.

 

I got an email recently with a link to this article:

 

http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/10/26/945847]FayObserver.com - Innovative machine to be tested at Bladen farm

 

A mobile pyrolysis machine rolled up to an experimental farm in Bladen County last week. Mounted on a small flatbed trailer, the device was soon fired up for the crowd.

 

The mobile unit is a cluster of industrial kettles and pulleys, with a funnel, propane tank and netbook computer attached.

 

The contraption heats wood waste at high temperatures without oxygen to produce a substance called biochar.

 

"Biochar, we're going to evaluate in a three-year project on a number of important North Carolina crops," Perritt told the assembled as they munched on finger food inside a storage shed on Privateer Farm.

3 years! I guess they won't believe other field trials or research. They should call North Carolina the show-me state.

 

~

 

p.s.

"One of the most interested observers at the Privateer Farm demonstration was Matt Harris, executive vice president of business development for Eco Technologies Group LLC."

I don't think the article makes this clear, but I think it is Eco Tech's unit--the Biochar 1000--

http://www.biocharsystems.com/make/Biochar-1000.pdf

that is being demonstrated. No wonder Matt is "most interested" in the demo.

[erich]

James Bruges, a cohort of one of our commentators at the Biochar List, Richard Douthwaite , from Feasta , has a great piece with many links to the NZ & OZ carbon accounting efforts, and Anila stoves, & much more

 

The Biochar Debate - written by James Bruges

Be sure to look at : SCAD is now carrying out trial plots using biochar to demonstrate the increased yields that result.

 

Lots of other good links on Cap & Dividend;

Cap and Share is the policy for achieving it (called ‘Cap and Dividend’ in the USA).

 

Woodbrooke Good Lives Project: The Biochar Debate - written by James Bruges

 

 

Black is Green Pty. Ltd. ,,,,,,,BIG Mobile Reactor

 

Australian biochar and mobile biochar production

 

 

Online platform offering policymaker toolkit for secure and renewable energy

The PACT website, which was originally launched in November 2007, has been completely rebuilt and embraces eight new policy recommendations on energy efficiency.

"There are policy examples for the use of cooking stoves, which do not emit CO2 or other hazardous fumes, but produce biochar, an organic, carbon-storing fertiliser."

Renewable Energy Focus - Online platform offering policymaker toolkit for secure and renewable energy

 

New Renewable Energy Alliance established at WFC Workshop in Addis Ababa

"Energy technology and policy solutions for off-grid regions as well sustainable cooking solutions and the need for a Rural Electrification Development Fund were discussed after briefings on the energy situation and energy policies in Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa. "

New Renewable Energy Alliance established at WFC Workshop in Addis Ababa: PACT

 

 

 

Chemical Engineer Joins NZ Biochar Centre

Scoop: Chemical Engineer Joins Biochar Centre

 

 

Gerard Rego's blog, on Al Gore's new focus on SOILS

http://fellows.rdvp.org/gerard-rego/al-gore-biochar-and-driving-the-next-cycle-newsweek-article-the-economist

 

 

Cheers,

Erich

[erich]

OH BOY !......We are going to get CHAR with our turkey this year.

 

Also I just had a conference call with Rodale Inst, Tim La Salle , CEO is most supportive for on going char research.

Their plots with Char in the 09 crop year, did not show significant gains in soybean biomass, and they cited to much spring rains kept them from getting any bean yield data.

 

Erich

 

 

From Danny;

 

 

On Monday, a CNN crew came to my home to film a simple experiment designed for classroom studies. With the camera focused on the small experimental flare projecting from a charge of 200 grams of woodchips, we had a wide ranging conversation about biochar, Copenhagen, commercialization, climate change, jobs, potential winners and impacts. The interest in biochar, carbon-negative energy and oxygen-positive fuels is growing.

 

CNN just called me to say they have changed the date the story will air to to 10-11PM EST on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

 

All the best;

 

Danny Day

Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns

[erich]

SEC Charges Mantria Investments With Operating $30 Million Ponzi Scheme

Please don't throw the Biochar baby out with Mantria's Snake Oil bath water.

The thermal conversion technology that they got hold of nefariously, is a solid, important innovation for the capture of energy from waste & Biomass and low cost sequestration of carbon in soils. Antal | BioEnergy Lists: BioChar (or Terra Preta)

 

Give a call if you want the back story, to much to write

 

Erich

540 289 9750

 

 

Press Release: SEC Charges Promoters of "Green" Investments With Operating $30 Million Ponzi Scheme Based in Denver Area; 2009-247; Nov. 16, 2009

[Eclipse Now]

Hey, good find with the BiGchar unit! I once suggested this to a bunch of peak oil doomers arguing that biochar could never work in a rural setting because of the cost of moving all the biomass around.

 

"If you can't get the biomass to the power-plant, we'll bring the power-plant to the biomass."

 

Nice.

 

 

[Michaelangelica]

German factory to mass produce ancient Amazonian fertilizer

Eco Factory - ‎18 hours ago‎

This time-consuming process created a substance the Portuguese called "terra preta" or "black earth." In modern times, scientists have come to know that ...

German Company Unlocks Ancient Secrets of Amazon “Dark Soil” CleanTechnica

Photovoltaik-Guide

TOP-THEMA juwi-Gruppe gründet neue Vertriebsgesellschaft Palaterra GmbH & Co. KG

Photovoltaik-Guide - ‎Nov 18, 2009‎

November 2009 – Lange hat die Welt den Code für Terra Preta, die „schwarze Erde“, gesucht – jetzt haben ihn Forscher geknackt. ...

http://www.photovoltaik-guide.de/top-thema-juwi-gruppe-gruendet-neue-vertriebsgesellschaft-palaterra-gmbh-co-kg-7157

Without reading it this sounds like opportunistic marketing crap;

"fertiliser' is wrong for starters.

 

Le sommet de Copenhague peut-il réussir ? (mardi de l'Environnement)

Actualités News Environnement - ‎Nov 9, 2009‎

Il ajoute qu'il ya 500 à 2500 ans, les peuples amérindiens en Amazonie connaissaient déjà cette technique nommée aujourd'hui « Terre noire ou « Terra Preta ...

[Eclipse Now]

Anyone know if a mobile "Big-char" unit could be rigged up to not just produce biochar from the crops, but actually produce syngas (or even synfuel)? Would that make the unit too big to be mobile, or could a mini "refinery" fit on the back of a large trailer?

 

Again, I'm thinking of a post-oil future where remote farms in Australia might not be able to transport 100 tons of biochar a few hundred km's just to get 10 tons of biochar back, and a bit of fuel, when it would also cost so much fuel to get the agriwaste / forestry waste there?

 

Anyone run an equation on what the optimal spacing of fixed biochar plants would be compared to mobile biochar units from a fuel-efficiency point of view? For very soon liquid fuels will also be 'gold' like the biochar itself. Us city folk might be able to get around in a "Better Place" electric car battery-swap program, but the last time I looked rural folk need their harvesters etc.

 

So wouldn't it make economic sense to also have a mini-refinery on the big-char mobile unit so they could deliver some compressed syngas/synfuel to the farmer on-site?

[Michaelangelica]

Anyone know if a mobile "Big-char" unit could be rigged up to not just produce biochar from the crops, but actually produce syngas (or even synfuel)? Would that make the unit too big to be mobile, or could a mini "refinery" fit on the back of a large trailer?

 

Again, I'm thinking of a post-oil future where remote farms in Australia might not be able to transport 100 tons of biochar a few hundred km's just to get 10 tons of biochar back, and a bit of fuel, when it would also cost so much fuel to get the agriwaste / forestry waste there?

 

Anyone run an equation on what the optimal spacing of fixed biochar plants would be compared to mobile biochar units from a fuel-efficiency point of view? For very soon liquid fuels will also be 'gold' like the biochar itself. Us city folk might be able to get around in a "Better Place" electric car battery-swap program, but the last time I looked rural folk need their harvesters etc.

 

So wouldn't it make economic sense to also have a mini-refinery on the big-char mobile unit so they could deliver some compressed syngas/synfuel to the farmer on-site?

 

There was a small mobile pyrolysis unint developed in Canada.(A university?)

you may find reference to it in the pyrolysis thread or erich would know

 

Sounds like a great marketing/job/business/franchise opportunity

IMHO the way to go.

[BiGchar]

James here, one of the BiGchar technology developers. In short yes and that was exactly the discussion I was having with a fuel gas proiject developer yesterday.

 

A biomass to syngas unit could fit on a semitrailer. This would be sufficient to make roughly 500 kg of syngas per day. Tiny and inefficient by normal refinery standards, but more than enough to fuel a small fleet of vehicles. Syngas to liquid fuels is tougher, much more costly and would take as much room again. Biomass to bio-oil sounds easier, but bio-oils are require significant upgrading (mostly hydrogenation) to be used as transport fuels.

 

There is certainly scope to make an entire farm's fuel/energy needs on site, with the ability to sell the surplus, BUT .. and and is a big BUT the cost of a 500 kg/day syngas unit at this time would be roughly $1M. This is a significant barrier to entry, made worse by the fact that that there are no demonstration units running anwhere yet. We are negotiating to have one installed in the next 12 months. Over time these will beome much cheaper ... but you have to overcome the development timelines first.

 

 

James

 

 

Anyone know if a mobile "Big-char" unit could be rigged up to not just produce biochar from the crops, but actually produce syngas (or even synfuel)? Would that make the unit too big to be mobile, or could a mini "refinery" fit on the back of a large trailer?

 

Again, I'm thinking of a post-oil future where remote farms in Australia might not be able to transport 100 tons of biochar a few hundred km's just to get 10 tons of biochar back, and a bit of fuel, when it would also cost so much fuel to get the agriwaste / forestry waste there?

 

Anyone run an equation on what the optimal spacing of fixed biochar plants would be compared to mobile biochar units from a fuel-efficiency point of view? For very soon liquid fuels will also be 'gold' like the biochar itself. Us city folk might be able to get around in a "Better Place" electric car battery-swap program, but the last time I looked rural folk need their harvesters etc.

 

So wouldn't it make economic sense to also have a mini-refinery on the big-char mobile unit so they could deliver some compressed syngas/synfuel to the farmer on-site?

[erich]

QUADRA PROJECTS INC.

 

A public company that is working on shipping container size units

http://quadraprojects.com/html/products.html

 

Main

 

QPRJ.OB: Summary for QUADRA PROJECTS NEW- Yahoo! Finance

 

 

Erich

[Eclipse Now]

Sorry Erich, I don't have time to wade through another site: is this to syngas or synfuel?

 

Anyone know if harvesters can easily be retrofitted to run on syngas?

 

hi Bigchar,

thanks for inquiring into that because my number one concern as a peak oil activist is that we prioritise gaseous or liquid transport fuels to vital infrastructure like our farms.

 

Regarding the 500kg syngas / day unit, I'm wondering what lifetime that would have, running costs etc with a view to the final cost / kg to the farmer? heck, if liquid fuels become as big a crisis as a bunch of my online mates are saying it will in the next 5 years we'll probably have some government support going into the farming sector until something better turns up. But it could be more efficient if you cutting-edge guys marry *some* transport fuels provision to the biochar process, which is such a win-win-win technology I'm busting to see you all succeed.