[erich]

Any help in posting to all these entities associated with Walmart's green efforts would be most appreciated.
Post me and we will divvy up this pie. ( Use my standard TP post & links any way you want)
Thanks,
Erich


Lessons Learned on Display at Wal-Mart's Sustainability Summit
Lessons Learned on Display at Wal-Mart's Sustainability Summit

Here are the the entities;
Live Better Sustainability Summit





Terra Preta Soils Technology To Master Wal-Mart's Carbon Cycle

I thought the current news and links on Terra Preta (TP)soils and closed-loop pyrolysis of Biomass would interest you. Carbon to the soil for a really long time;

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 CH4 & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.


SCIAM Article May 15 07;
Special Report: Inspired by Ancient Amazonians, a Plan to Convert Trash into Environmental Treasure: Scientific American

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

The International Biochar Initiative (IBI)

(...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/d...B_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. Terra Preta | Intentional use of charcoal in soil

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: Hawaii man convicted of murdering deputy - The Honolulu Advertiser



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;

Glomalin: The Real Soil Builder / February 5, 2003 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service




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:
Biochar home

University of Beyreuth TP Program, Germany University of Beyreuth | Terra Preta

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://hypography.com/forums/earth-s...rra-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). Quaternary carbon storage in global ecosystems




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

Carbon Diversion
Carbon Diversion


Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns
Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns

BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable Ene
BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable Energy - Char - green coal - pelletized fuel - syngas for electrical generation - carbon credits - increases rural jobs and construction development


Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of Energy
Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of Energy

Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly Energy and Chemicals
Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly Energy and Chemicals

Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural waste
Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural waste

Advanced BioRefinery Inc.
Advanced BioRefinery Inc.

Technology Review: Turning Slash into Cash
Technology Review: Turning Slash into Cash


3R Environmental Technologies Ltd. (Edward Someus)
WEB: TERRA HUMANA

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: Nviro Cleantech – Investing in Clean Technologies and VERTUS Ltd.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The International Agrichar Initiative (IAI) conference held at Terrigal, NSW, Australia in 2007. ( The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) ) ( 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

[erich]

This kind reply I just received from Michael Pollan of "The Botany of Desire" fame. 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!

Erich

[InfiniteNow]

Erich,

You are a bastion of hope. For those of us who ignore longer posts, can you summarize:

What you are saying:
Why you are saying it:
Who you are saying it to:
and
What are the next steps:


Too many meetings has made me callous. Time to to pulverize some char and say thank you to old friends.

[erich]

Here's a reply from Lou onthe TP list that sums up my feelings;

"And I got a reply from Andrew Revkin (science writer for the NY Times)
saying that he would "have a look."

I would like to suggest (urge) that everyone can do this. Just pick any writers,
or opinion leaders who you respect and draw them into the conversation. I like
to keep my messages short, choosing only a few simple but powerful references
that might hook the interest of the journalist, the teacher, the minister, etc.
Once attention iss hooked, Terra Preta does the rest.
Lou"


What I'm saying;
Various combinations of my above TP Posting, Please modify/edit it any way you like , I often modify the opening dependent on the politics of the intended audience, like for the evangelical "Creation Care" folks

Why I'm saying it;
To engauge all the folks I can ,to show them why they have an iron in this fire.

Who you are saying it to:
Any and all the academic disipines, companies, NGOs, government agencies, enviormental groups, Garden groups, Waste managers, folks on the above Wal-Mart list, etc , etc.....................

and

What are the next steps:
Letting our creative minds find as many venues as possible to get this word out, we need both a "top-down" and "bottoms-up" approach.


I may be a bastion, but I feel like a voice in the wilderness,
Thanks,
Erich

Erich

[scalbers]

Would be nice to see Terra Preta covered in various science magazines. It was in Scientific American - though just on the web site.

I also wonder about venture capitalists investing in alternative energy. This includes Al Gore - who in addition to his publicity has been working with some venture capitalists.

[erich]

Yes.......I have posted the story idea to many science mags and science blogs
Also many venture capitalists and dotcom millionairs; Branson, Bezos, Gore, Bigalow
Gates, etc.


IPCC Summary for Policy Makers, almost talks about Charcoal;

This IPCC menu of remediations fits TP to a T, However they don't say the C word (charcoal), our friends at Biopact at least know that Biotic-Carbon-Capture & Storage, (CCS) , and 'negative emissions energy' should read Charcoal to the Soils.


Bioenergy pact between Europe and Africa

[Michaelangelica]

Brother eric's latest ( up-dated) sermon

Let yea of little faith BEWARE!
Lest the fires of pyrolysis consume 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 CH4 & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.
Thanks,
Erich

UN Climate Change Conference: Biochar present at the Bali Conference

UN Climate Change Conference: Biochar present at the Bali Conference | Terra Preta



SCIAM Article May 15 07;

Special Report: Inspired by Ancient Amazonians, a Plan to Convert Trash into Environmental Treasure: Scientific American



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

The International Biochar Initiative (IBI)

(...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/d...B_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. Terra Preta | Intentional use of charcoal in soil

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: Faith calendar - The Honolulu Advertiser



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;

Glomalin: The Real Soil Builder / February 5, 2003 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service



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

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

Carbon Diversion
Carbon Diversion


Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns
Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns

BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable Ene
BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable Energy - Char - green coal - pelletized fuel - syngas for electrical generation - carbon credits - increases rural jobs and construction development


Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of Energy
Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of Energy

Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly Energy and Chemicals
Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly Energy and Chemicals

Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural waste
Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural waste

Advanced BioRefinery Inc.
Advanced BioRefinery Inc.

Technology Review: Turning Slash into Cash
Technology Review: Turning Slash into Cash


3R Environmental Technologies Ltd. (Edward Someus)
WEB: TERRA HUMANA

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: Nviro Cleantech – Investing in Clean Technologies and VERTUS Ltd.
http://www.vertustechnologies.com

The International Agrichar Initiative (IAI) conference held at Terrigal, NSW, Australia in 2007. ( The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) ) ( The papers from this conference are now being posted at their home page)
.

Erich J. Knight
Shenandoah Gardens
1047 Dave Berry Rd.
McGaheysville, VA. 22840

From
Cabin Dreams: Winter at last
formatting colour and fiddling blame me
MA

[erich]

I got an email from Thayer Tomlinson today, really great work going on at the Energy and Security Group.

Established in 2002, the Energy and Security Group (ESG) is a small, woman-owned professional services company serving U.S. government and military, industry, finance, and international development agency clients in the U.S. and overseas.

Energy and Security Group

I like all the Biochar Big Hitters on the board of the Renew the Earth project ESG has undertaken;

Renew the Earth (RTE) is organized to encourage the international exchange of ideas, information, and actions in the transition from a fossil-based economy to one increasingly reliant on sustainable energy and water. RTE is located at the ESG home office, which performs the day-to-day management and operational functions of the organization. RTE is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of Debbie Reed, William Holmberg, Steve Siegel, Judy Siegel, Tom Davis, Barbara Bramble, and Stephen Joseph.

Energy and Security Group


Cheers,
Erich

[Michaelangelica]

I think I have given up.

Like backyard composting, TP's time will come in 20 years.

I am half amind to ear bash my two new local members and take them up to BEST's prototype pyrolysis machine. But I think I am too down or run out of energy for now.

[erich]

Do I hear a crisis in Faith??????!!!!!............from Our Arch Angle?????............Say it ain't so Michael........say it ain't so........................