[Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

[Tom Miles]

Ron,

 

One technique we can use is to put the data and text into a collaborative
book. That is, each topic would have its own web section that could be added
to and edited. Data can be attached in spreadsheets or tables. Either Sean
could edit it overall or individuals could login and edit pages. Either way
the information for each topic could be accumulated ad commented on. 

 

I can set up a draft online if someone will provide a list of topics, topic
descriptions, intial content and a list of references. 

 

Tom

 

 

 

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Ron Larson
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 11:59 AM
To: Sean K. Barry; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org; Christoph Steiner
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Global Carbon Cycle

 

Sean -

 

    1.  Thanks for taking the lead on this.  In response to your request
below,  I'd like to work on this data summary exercise with you (including
the subject of rationales that should enter the economic calculations).

 

    2.  I haven't found anything wrong with any of your numbers - but have
seen some that differ a tad.  I think it will be helpful to show most
everyone's numbers, if we can.

 

    3.  As an example, Tom Miles has quoted the "official" US future
cellulosic biomass availability of about 1 GT/yr.  I have read (actually
closer to skimming that full report), and believe that number was pretty
conservative.  The idea of terra preta is nowhere in that document - so they
are avoiding counting many residues, which if going to TP would improve the
soil they are (justifuably) trying to protect. I believe energy plantations
are largely excluded, and the forestry contribution seems (intuitively)
low-balled.   I wouldn't be surprised if we could double or triple the 1 GT
annual biomass availability figure for the US.  I am sure we can find other
experts who will dispute the US availability statistic.  We must if we are
to get close to the Lehmann upper value of 9+ GT/yr of "wedge" C-offset.

 

   4.  The area I have found most confusing and I have not seen in your
summary so far relates to the multiplier that we should place on added
future biomass growth due to charcoal sequestration.  In one of Johannes
Lehmann's papers (details from me coming later), he attributes a multiplier
of three to eleven to work by his collaborator at Cornell: John Gaunt.  I
talked to John at the IAI conference - and believe the result to be likely
credible - but no details on the methodology used have yet appeared.  This
is a huge factor, with probably the greatest present level of uncertainty.
But the TP in Brazil tells me that over thousands of years that a factor of
11 is on the low side.

 

    5.  I like what you have said recently about NOx emissions - and can
report this was a bombshell announcement in Australia - enough (without CO2
ever being discussed) to justify TP.  We saw several examples in Australia
of sensors to detect NOx and CO2 emissions reductions after charcoal
sequestration - so I think you data base has to get into this area as well
(as I think you indicated).

 

   6.  I will make a better effort at re-reading your nice start - but don't
recall enough emphasis on the employment topic.  I believe this can be a
huge impact in selling the TP area in political circles - as demonstrated by
the way Bill Clinton justifies RE emphasis.  So data on employment and
income may be needed and useful.  This result will vary by country a lot -
so we are talking about a world-wide data base in many ways.  (It is pretty
hard even to find the current price of charcoal anywhere in any part of the
production-sales chain.)

 

Again - thanks for volunteering to take on this hard task - and I look
forward to working with you on it.     Ron

 

(ps - I'll bet Tom Miles has a preferred way of posting and updating this
data set that we need to keep in mind. Tom?)

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070601/cbb30aef/attachment.html