[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Essay

Michael, I saw this the other day on BBC News. There was a video of officials breaking up the kilns (like smashing stills, back during Prohibition).
They look to be about 7-8 feet tall.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Front line battle to save Amazon forest



...like igloos?

Interesting part of a BBC special
I will have to get broadband
BBC World Service - The Amazon Paradox

A short distance away, police cars stop at a site where row after row of open air ovens are being used to burn wood for charcoal.

Checks reveal that more than the permitted number of dome-shaped ovens has been built, so two are destroyed on the same day.

This operation on the ground in the Amazon has been continuing for two months, and police chief, Sergio Rovani, who is responsible for tackling environmental crimes in Para, insists it is getting results.

According to the official statistics, Arc of Fire has recovered enough illegal wood to fill 1500 trucks, and 1600 hundred charcoal furnaces have been destroyed. Many fines have also been imposed.

somehow sad and ironic.

[DanGray]

Hi Guys I'm new here
just adding this to the info, it's sorta been mentioned here but here are some pictures also
Making your own charcoal
here any other link of interest
Charcoal Making at Home, Robert Lea

[Michaelangelica]

From a Vermont USA tourist newsletter/guide.

Barker Charcoal Kiln: Not far from the money diggings are the ruins of the Barker Charcoal Kiln. In its day this was a sophisticated kiln. It was a stone enclosure about ten feet high and twenty feet square and the stones were mortared in place.
Hardwood was piled inside and burned slowly to produce the charcoal. The amount of air allowedto the fire controlled the burn and was regulated by a system of holes in the walls of thekiln which could be filled with bricks to close off the draft.
As late as 1981 the south side of the kiln was still in almost perfect condition.

The Valley Voice

I googled to see if I might find an image of this. I didn't; but I did find this


Charcoal Kilns from Death Valley National Park?
I thought it was a desert?

The charcoal kilns stand in Wildrose canyon, in western Death Valley, at an elevation of 6,800 feet. They can be reached by a good dirt road where you can drive a regular car. In early April, there was still some snow remaining. When you arrive and discover the kilns, the view is stunning. What is that, is that a village ?

Other Points of Interest - Death Valley National Park Travel Guide - VirtualTourist.com
and a better pic of the same?

9. Charcoal Kilns in Wildrose Canyon

The Charcoal Kilns were built in 1867 to reduce the local Pinon Pines and Juniper trees to charcoal by a process of slow controlled burning. The charcoal was then used to smelt gold and lead ore in the local mines. However, after just a few years of use, they were abandoned, one of the reason behind the longevity of these kilns.

Our Beautiful World at the Backroads

[Michaelangelica]

Here is a surprise from left field
Plantstones!!!
Plants that make their own charcoal !
You can see the show here
The 7.30 Report - ABC
Look for "Australian Scientists Discover Carbon Storage Solution"

Therefore, unlike most plant matter
which readily decomposes in soil returning CO2 to the atmosphere, the
carbon in plantstones effectively removes CO2 from the atmosphere for
millenia."

The show's transcript is here
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2008/s2352434.htm
Grassy crops seem to be good at this, like sugar cane and bamboo.
So it make be competition for the "Tree Huggers"?
Back to the drawing board to do more sums on carbon sequestration- better by grass or trees?!!!

[DanGray]

very interesting , thanks

[DanGray]

I'd post the new link to that if I could but can't post links untill have at least 10 posts here it seems .you have to search for the right link now..

[Michaelangelica]

How to Make some Charcoal
How to Make some Charcoal