[Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Rick,

I think you just weigh the biochar/agrichar/charcoal one would make, estimate the carbon content at 90%.  Maybe the payer would then certify that the charcoal was then put into soil before they pay the amount of that weight?  Let's assume you could not get paid if you put the charcoal in the soil first.  Paid only for the fixed carbon weight in the raw charcoal (if it can be weighed first), and then only when its verifiably buried.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rick Davies<mailto:rick.davies at gmail.com> 
  To: lou gold<mailto:lou.gold at gmail.com> 
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 2:46 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil


  You could measure how much you were "pouring in", but how would anyone verify that, except by having access to before and after measures of the carbon content of the same soil? Or by being able to compare carbon content in soil where carbon was (reportedly) added and other soil nearby where carbon had not been added (and which otherwise appeared to be the same soil type) 

  regards, rick


  On Nov 30, 2007 8:42 PM, lou gold <lou.gold at gmail.com<mailto:lou.gold at gmail.com>> wrote:

    Hi Rick,

    You would not measure the amount of carbon already in the soil. You would measure the amount of carbon added as an agrichar amendment.

    all best,

    lou


    On Nov 30, 2007 6:35 PM, Rick Davies < rick.davies at gmail.com<mailto:rick.davies at gmail.com>> wrote:

      If a poor rural community wanted to get paid for sequestering carbon in their farm soils, how would they or any independent third party be able to measure the carbon of their soils content before and after putting biochar in the soil? 

      Would it be rocket science, or are there any methods that are reasonably low tech, whose costs would not exceed potential income gains from selling carbon offsets / carbon credits?

      (Putting aside all the questions of how they would access these markets via intermediaries / demand aggregators) 

      regards, rick davies

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      Rick Davies (Dr),
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  -- 
  Rick Davies (Dr),
  Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
  Phone: (44) 01223 841367, Mobile:  (44) 07855 766 354, Skype: rickjdavies, 
  Fax(to email): 44 (0)870 1640239, Email: rick.davies at gmail.com<mailto:rick.davies at gmail.com>
  Monitoring and Evaluation NEWS at http://www.mande.co.uk<http://www.mande.co.uk/>
  Rick on the Road at http://www.mandenews.blogspot.com<http://www.mandenews.blogspot.com/>
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