Introduction

[ronalwlarson]

Hi. I am joining because of Hypography's fine emphasis on biochar (terra preta) - my principal area of interest right now. I came to the topic because I have spent a lot of time working on charcoal-making (pyrolyzing) stoves. This interest came about from working (for USAID) in Sudan - which has a terrible desertification problem due to rural charcoal-making. In about 1995 I posted a description of such a stove on the "bioenergy" list - and soon was asked to be a coordinator for the still-active "stoves" list. I kept with that until needing to concentrate on activities with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). Maybe 5-6 years ago, I realized that charcoal had its highest value as a soil amendment, thereby also taking CO2 out of the atmosphere. A few years ago, I helped form the "terrapreta" list, later renamed as a Yahoo group called "biochar". I have attended the first two IBI conferences and am a principal organizer of one of the next regional ones - in Boulder Colorado - August 9-12, 2009. See more on this event at the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) site - where I am also a volunteer helper. I am a former teacher (Georgia Tech) and researcher (at what is now NREL, in Golden Colo.), living with wife Gretchen in an all-solar (electric and thermal) home, mostly of my own design. Ron

[pamela]

Hello Ron,

Great intro! I look forward to your posts