[Terrapreta] Earthen Kilns Conjecture

[lou gold]

Yes Kurt and this is the basis of the research of Steiner, et al -- in
trying to shift Amazonian subsistence agriculture from slash-and-burn to
slash-and-char. It is also the goal of Biochar.Fund in Africa, See
http://biocharfund.com//index.php

hugs and blessings,

lou

On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 10:32 AM, Kurt Treutlein <rukurt at westnet.com.au>
wrote:

> Sean K. Barry wrote:
> >
> > Hi Kurt,
> >
> > Why don't you like the idea of starting with Savannah?  I thought it
> > was better since it would remove less standing biomass carbon and then
> > it would grow back sooner, too, if it was Savanna, vs old growth
> > forest land.  Maybe  I'm wrong?  What do you think is the best
> > terraform to start converting to charcoal first?  This question
> > applies to now, not when or how the Amazon people did it 4500 years ago.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > SKB
> Lou puts it very well in a later post.
>
> The point is, Savannah grass lands are not "waste" land uses. They are
> that way because that is the way nature wants it. It suits the
> conditions of soil and climate.
>
> Instead do something with land that is presently being misused. In
> Brazil it might be better to use some of that exhausted ex rainforest
> land that was cleared a few years ago and now no longer produces. The
> char might help to build it back. Plant coppicing tree varieties and
> harvest them sustainably. This way you don't damage the land further and
> might get some extra benefits as well (energy and all that sort of thing).
>
> Take some of the tree plantations that are springing up all over with
> the intention of making woodchip and re-direct them into char
> manufacture. We have lots of them here in Southern Australia. You might
> not get to do that without a big economic meltdown, in which case the
> whole thing will likely become moot anyhow.
>
> But above all, think wholistically. It's very easy to sit in one's
> armchair and draw broad brush generalities based on very limited general
> understanding of how the world actually works. Fanatically zooming in on
> reducing CO2 is not the way out of our mess, people also have to eat and
> live.
>
> Kurt
>
>
>
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