Charcoal use in developing countries

[Autopoeisis]

Greetings everyone,

 

A short introduction I am not a soil scientist like a lot of people here but I am a student and hopeful practitioner of international development. I was in the Amazon Rainforest a few months back working on some community programs mostly Non-Timber Forest Product Commercialization but I am well pretty well informed across the whole field of international development and environmental conservation. I can say that I understand a lot of scientific issues related to agriculture. I am very interested in the topic of terra preta and its application for rainforest conservation, community development, and carbon sequestration. From my analysis thusfar I think it has a lot of potential as part of a forest management strategy.

 

 

I am posting here to introduce a new topic for discussion which seems a important consideration that has been missed. Charcoal is produced in a lot of developing countries for cooking. In places like Haiti for example the production of charcoal and extraction of biomass for cooking is by itself a significant cause of environmental destruction. It would seem that in some places it my contribute to ecological conservation while in others it may compete with biomass utilized for for cooking fuel. I'm thinking of ways this can be resolved including the introduction of alternative or more efficient cooking technologies.

 

This has certainly been mentioned already in posts but I am also curious as to what effects the introduction of terra preta techniques will have on different soil ecologies.

[Buffy]

Greetings Auto! Welcome to Hypography!

 

No requirement to be a scientist around here. Just an interest in intelligent dialog! Take a look around and jump right in!

 

Have fun!

Buffy

[shimbir]

Greetings everyone,

 

A short introduction I am not a soil scientist like a lot of people here but I am a student and hopeful practitioner of international development. I was in the Amazon Rainforest a few months back working on some community programs mostly Non-Timber Forest Product Commercialization but I am well pretty well informed across the whole field of international development and environmental conservation. I can say that I understand a lot of scientific issues related to agriculture. I am very interested in the topic of terra preta and its application for rainforest conservation, community development, and carbon sequestration. From my analysis thusfar I think it has a lot of potential as part of a forest management strategy.

 

Hi Autopoeisis

Thanks for this posting on charcoal use in developing countries

I have very similar interests and would be interested to exchange ideas. See http: // www shimbir demon co uk / biocharrefs.htm

regards, rick davies