[Terrapreta] Sustained Biochar

[Frank Teuton]

Dear Jeff,

Blaming modern man exclusively for the mess we are in is not altogether on 
target. It is my understanding that up until about 1950 most of the 
anthropogenic C tossed up into the atmosphere was from land use sources, 
principally deforestation and agricultural soil depletion. Even very 
primitive man was able to wipe out species through overhunting, eh?

The upside of modernity is that we now have tools to dial up or down the 
production of various pollutants. Whether or not we are smart enough to use 
these tools skillfully is of course the question. The answer literally will 
be blowing in the wind.

Sean has given the numbers, and Kevin's assertion that any charcoal 
production is better than natural rotting is simply mistaken, wrong, in 
error, and potentially disastrous if globally implemented.

My two cents,

Frank Teuton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Davis" <jeff0124 at velocity.net>
To: "Kevin Chisholm" <kchisholm at ca.inter.net>
Cc: "Miles Tom" <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 5:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Sustained Biochar


> Kevin wrote:
>> Certainly, charring with full use of the retort or pyrolysis gases is
>> best, but I would presently appear to me that any form of char
>> production for Terra Preta is better than allowing the biomass to
>> decompose naturally, from the standpoint of GHG impact.
>
> Daer All,
>
> Primitive man has been burning and making charcoal for thousands of years
> without global warming, so to say. Only in the last one hundred years has
> man become highly educated enough to destroy the environment and knows
> enough to blame it on old practices.
>
>
> Just an interesting point,
>
>
> Jeff