[Terrapreta] A Movable Feast

[Michael Bailes]

>
> I want to make this very important point yet again ...
>
> *Whether "Terra Preta" can actually improve soil quality or not, it can
> very effectively sequester carbon from the atmosphere.*
>
> So, as long as the charcoal made and put into agricultural soil does not
> poison the soil and make it unable to grow crops, then I think it can be
> used to attempt to make "Terra Preta".  I think putting any charcoal into
> any non-agricultural soils is just plain obviously a good carbon
> sequestration practice.  We can call it "UN-MINING" of carbon and it really
> ought to receive carbon credits in a world-wide carbon trading market.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sean K. Barry
>

This is a point I made on hypography terra preta thread some time ago.
The answer was "Yes, but we want it to work too!"
So the bigger carrot/motivation for using char is better plant growth and
lower input costs of water and fertiliser.
Pure altruism will probably not cut it!
-- 

Ron is anyone saying rice hull char is the best?
I found it very fine and i think its high pH killed a prize aquilegia,
I preferred Chicken-layer-shed-manure char. It acted more like perlite and
gave good aeration of pots.
Then again from what has been said here about silicon it might be just the
thing for Winery grapes.
All chars are going to have slightly different benefits and drawbacks
When a pyrolisis plant is set up in an area the output should be tested in
partnership with local farmers and government agriculture departments

On the point about a movable pyrolysis plant to dispose of local waste I
heartily agree. it was my first question when I saw my first plant (Can I
have a small one to take home please? I NEED it!! pls! I have been a GOOD
boy)
Locally there is acres of seaweed polluting the edges of a vast, huge lake
system. i would love to see what a movable pyrolysis plant could make of
that.
There is also mammoth piles of wood offcuts at a local sawmill
Unfortunately the number of government environmental and  safety regulation
"hoops" such a unit would have to "jump' though make it all but impossible.
also
 How would you get electricity back into the grid from the pyrolysis plant
at lots of different points on the grid?
 it is hard enough when the plant is in one spot.
Michael Bailes.

"I know the answer!
The answer lies within the heart of all mankind!
The answer is twelve?
I think I'm in the wrong building."
         -- Charles M. Schulz
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