[Terrapreta] Making Soil from Oil

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Randy,

I like what you have said so far in this post (below).  However, I want to point out one factual error 40% yield w/w of charcoal from biomass is NOT CONSERVATIVE.  40 % by weight is at or even beyond the theoretical maximum possible yield from any form of biomass (dry or wet).  See the work of Dr Michael J. Antal, Jr. from the University of Hawaii.  He is a member on this list.

"Someday our "fossil fuels" era may be looked upon as a good thing because we mined the carbon from under the ground and introduced it back
into the environment to enhance the earth for plant production."  <-- Now that is a uniquely wild assertion which I like!  You gotta sell British Petroleum and EXXON on that one, Randy.  How fantastic is would be, if they could be convinced that they provided the carbon from fossil fuels, which in the end will save the world.  If you form that argument persuasively enough, then the oil industry might well join into the production of Terra Preta just for the glory.


Regards,

Sean K. Barry
Principal Engineer/Owner
Troposphere Energy, LLC
11170 142nd St. N.
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 351-0711 (Home/Fax)
(651) 285-0904 (Cell)
sean.barry at juno.com<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Randy Black<mailto:rblack at hillcity.k12.sd.us> 
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 1:43 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Making Soil from Oil


  Duane, 

  You make a good point on the cycle of forest fires and charcoal. One
  thing I have read is the 97% of the forest goes up as carbon dioxide
  (and of course other gases), and 3% goes to charcoal and into the soil. 

  What I envision in the future is that we manage our forest so we have
  less forest fires by harvesting the wood and turn that massive amount of
  carbon into charcoal for agricultural purposes. Of course forest fires
  play a part in the ecosystem that we would have to replicate (smaller
  controlled burns after most of the forest is harvested is a
  possibility), and some charcoal would need to be put back into the
  forest. But at the conservative rate of 40% charcoal product by weight
  from wood, we can sequester a lot more carbon and use it for agriculture
  via Terra Preta. Also the forest (if managed well), would grow back and
  sequester more carbon and if we returned 10% of the charcoal back to the
  forest ecosystem (instead of the natural 3%), what increase in growth
  and production would the forest have via the Terra Preta effect. This
  also leads to a line of thought about just adding charcoal/carbon to
  different ecosystems and what effect it might have down the road 5 or 10
  years latter as Terra Preta type effects happen. What growth or
  biodiversity might occur and what would nature do with extra charcoal.
  Of course this is more Terra Mullata not Terra Preta because we would
  not be adding the organic material the helps make Terra Preta.

  Someday our "fossil fuels" era may be looked upon as a good thing
  because we mined the carbon from under the ground and introduced it back
  into the environment to enhance the earth for plant production.

  Randy Black



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