[Terrapreta] Catalyst: Carbon Bigfoot

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Sean

Sean K. Barry wrote:
> Hi Duane,
>  
> WHAT?!  Is your response to my post "tongue in cheek"?  I hope so ... 
> or you really do not see things the way I do, either.  Burning coal 
> and oil has to slow way down, even to stopping altogether.  If coal 
> energy is required, then it has to change over to "clean" coal, 
> without the release of CO2 emissions.
The essence of coal is fossil carbon. If coal is used, then fossil C is 
added to the Biosphere. How would you suggest that CO2 emissions could 
be captured and removed from the Biosphere? Do you know any processes 
that can capture CO2 emissions from fossil fired power plants and 
prevent them from being released to the Environment?
>  
> Production of synthetic fertilizers from fossil fuels (natural gas and 
> coal gasification) needs to change the hydrogen gas-H2 source to some 
> other source (how about hydrogen from biomass?).
Have you ever seen any cost data on the cost of hydrogen from Natural 
Gas, and non-fossil fuel sources? How would they compare?
>   Inputs to soil and/or land use has to change, so that crop 
> residues are not releasing CO2 (no-till, low-till, Terra Preta soils, 
> etc).
Soil life forms must be fed with organic matter, and their existence 
inherently requires the liberation of CO2. How could CO2 be captured as 
it escapes from the soil?
>   Agricultural practices need to change so that gaseous nitrous 
> oxide-N2O releases into the atmosphere from synthetic fertilizers will 
> slow down.
How could agricultural processes be changed to reduce N2O emissions from 
teh soil?
> Water soluble nitrates-NOx also need to be slowed.   Terra Preta soils 
> can help do all these things, too.  If plant nutrient losses from 
> agricultural soil can be reduced and the nutrients retained in the 
> soil, then fertilizer use will decline.
Good point.

>  
> Animal manures, thawing permafrost, and thawing methyl hydrate (frozen 
> methane under the oceans) all release Methane gas-CH4.
I would suggest that methane releases from manures and anaerobically 
decaying vegetation are of relatively little consequence in that their 
carbon content does not represent a carbon addition to the biosphere. 
Thawing permafrost, and methane hydrate escape is another matter 
entirely; they release "new carbon additions" to the Biosphere.
>   These should be dealt with (anaerobic digesters for animal manure, 
> mining methane gas from thawing permafrost and methyl hydrate).  
> Portland cement production from limestone should also be curtailed or 
> cleaned up (it releases enormous amounts of CO2).
Can you suggest a replacement for Portland Cement? If not, how can 
Portland Cement be made without the use of limestone?
>  
> I think human energy use characteristics need to change 
> radically.  The routes to change involve energy conservation; more 
> efficient buildings, better insulation, more efficient appliances, 
> less driving, more renewable energy sources; wind, solar thermal, 
> geothermal, solar photovoltaic, hydraulic (river currents, tidal 
> power), and expansion of nuclear energy, with effective and immediate 
> methods for dealing with spent nuclear fuel.
All good points in principle.
>  
> Action towards improvement is the best policy.  We all need to not 
> just begin to act in ways that combat global warming, we have to 
> change the way the world runs and keep on that track!
It seems that a large obstacle is the policy "The American Way of Life 
is non-negotiable." How do you see changes in the way the world runs 
without a change in this policy?
> We have to look at both the supply side and the demand side of this 
> issue.  Producers of products that cause GHG emissions need to change 
> their ways.  Consumers of products that produce GHG emissions need to 
> change their ways.  We need to reduce emissions AND find ways to mine 
> GHG and take them out of the atmosphere, to bury them for as close to 
> forever as we can.  Terra Preta can do this, too.
This is the Terra Preta List. All these other things you bring up are 
very interesting, but wouldn't you agree that we can accomplish more on 
this list if we focus more on TP?
>  
> There is lots of talk on the Global Warming issue nowadays.  There is 
> lots to talk about.  But, we need to stop just talking and trying to 
> prove all of this beyond the smallest doubt to all the disbelievers.  
> We have to act!  We can't wait to suffer the consequences of inaction 
> any longer.  The guy on that video Lou sent is right ... We and Al 
> Gore will be called Polly-Anna's for not really pushing for action as 
> vehemently as we must.
If we focus on Terra Preta, and leave Global Warming generalizations to 
other forums, we can accomplish more on advincing Terra Preta.
>  
> Many will find what I just wrote to sound like the words of an 
> ALARMIST.  I say too bad if you don't like that message, at least you 
> understood it.  We are never going to achieve 40% reductions in world 
> wide GHG emissions by 2020, if we keep trying to prove to idiots, 
> disbelievers, and greedy malcontents, that Global Warming is 
> happening, is caused by humans, and we better all start paying for 
> fixing the problem now.  If its pay now or pay later, I advise and 
> choose now, because the price will absolutely be higher later (its 
> already going up!).
Why not leave the Global Warming Issue to Global Warming Forums, and 
focus on Terra Preta on the Terra Preta List?

Best wishes,

Kevin
>  
> Whoa, Duane ...
>  
> Regards,
>  
> SKB
>  
>  
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Duane Pendergast <mailto:still.thinking at computare.org>
>     *To:* 'Sean K. Barry' <mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> ; 'lou gold'
>     <mailto:lou.gold at gmail.com>
>     *Cc:* 'Terrapreta' <mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
>     *Sent:* Friday, December 07, 2007 9:34 PM
>     *Subject:* RE: [Terrapreta] Catalyst: Carbon Bigfoot
>
>     Whoa up there Sean! If you take the CO2 out of the atmosphere to
>     improve the health of soil, there will be decreasing returns.
>     Wouldn't we be able to effect greater improvements if we keep
>     burning the oil and coal?  Lets make those greenhouse gases our
>     friends.
>
>      
>
>     Duane
>
>      
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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