[Terrapreta] Sustained Biochar

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Frank

Frank Teuton wrote:
> Dear Jeff,


del...
> 
> 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.

I would strongly disagree with you here. Ignoring the possibility of 
methane being produced when wood rots, rotting wood removes little to 
none of the wood carbon from the active biosphere. The cellulostic 
components of wood rot rather quickly, but the lignin components simply 
take a "little longer" before they are degraded back to CO2 and H2O. On 
the other hand, any charcoal production sequesters carbon and removes it 
from the atmosphere for literally thousands of years.

Best wishes,

Kevin
> 
> 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
> 
>