[Terrapreta] carbon sequestration but where is TP?

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Brian, Michael, Edward,

Has there been done any Life Cycle Analysis of biochar into soil which makes a case either way?   I think we could assume that the cradle or beginning of the biochar Life Cycle is when charcoal is made that is to be put into soil and the grave or end of the life cycle is quite long off.  It would not do, I think to back the cradle of biochar up to when the people began to live on and use the land , for instance.

Surely, there will be costs to producing biochar, harvesting and/or transporting biomass feedstocks, and distributing biochar.  But biochar, once put into the soil can add benefits to the soil and to a carbon sequestration process the entire time it is in the soil (which is quite long , circa 100 to 10,000 years); maintained soil fertility - reducing the use , manufacture, and consequent pollution disadvantages of industrial fertilizers, maintained carbon sinks, which do not cycle quickly back into the atmosphere.

The value of only the immediate benefits might easily outweigh the immediate costs and make any "biochar into soil" venture immediately cost effective.  With the correct pyrolysis techniques making biochar from biomass can be done cleanly and produce immediately usable bi-products with the biochar; harvested energy, renewable fuels, bio-chemical replacements for petrochemical feedstocks, new industrial jobs, improved agricultural productivity in areas with degraded soils, and etc.

I don't think it would take much effort to show that there is a definite positive Life Cycle benefit to adopting the production and use of biochar.  Pessimism and lack of imagination for ways to overcome against big business is not what we need discussed in this forum too much more, is it?

Regards,

SKB

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Edward Someus<mailto:edward at terrenum.net> 
  To: bhans at earthmimic.com<mailto:bhans at earthmimic.com> ; Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> 
  Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2007 9:39 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] carbon sequestration but where is TP?

   
        YES Michael, I was also wondering the same

        Where are/is the LifeCycle analysis which is stating scientific/technical evidence that most char systems doesn't seem to offer any real advantage overall? 
       
               
       
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