[Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns

[Ron Larson]

Damn -

I forgot a big one for me:

    13.  Increased use of all the non-dispatchable renewables (wind, PV, CSP, etc), as biochar facilities provide much of the required backup  (heaviest char and eletrical output during peak electrical demand periods - in Colorado it is July - August for air-conditioning).  Consequent additional CO2 reduction possibility as we move from 20-30% renewables introduction ceiling to two or three times that.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ron Larson 
  To: lou gold ; Sean K. Barry 
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:47 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns


  Lou, Sean, Kevin etal

  A couple more of the benefits are:

      1.  Reduced per hectare expenditures on fertilizers.    
      2.  Therefore less pressure on increasingly limited oil and natural gas supplies - leading to lowered fuel costs.
      3.  Even for same rate of fertilizer application - less N2O (very powerful GHG)
      4. Improved rural employment oportunities everywhere, but especially in developing countries.
      5.  Improved farm income per farmer from increased tons/hectare-yr - leading to better schooling and gender equality.
      6.  More available farm and forest residue to support more biofuel utilization, helping on both CO2 emission reduction and peak oil/peak gas supply constraints
      7.  Improved ocean/coral conditions from less fertilizer runoff (and less CO2 transfer from atmosphere to ocean).
      8.  Less malnutrition and better health conditions from supplying more food crops per hectare.
      9.  Less urban crowding (crime, etc) as more workers are needed in more profitable, healthier rural areas.
      10.  Better indoor air quality (and better health) as farm families cook with charcoal-making stoves (and more income for the cooks - women, so lowered population growth)
      11.  Those living on low islands and tidal areas.
      12.   Lowered disaster insurance costs (and similar for areas with reduced or increased rainfall, etc)
      13.  (Ran out of time)

  A more interesting question is who gets hurt by a big movement toward biochar:

      1.  Coal companies  (Jim Hansen's target)
      2.  Maybe oil and gas companies - but I think most are moving towards biofuels enough to not be a big problem.
      3.  Politicians taking funds from the GW-denier companies (mostly above)
      4.  Nuclear interests
      5.  Those promoting other climate engineering solutions (mirrors, deep sequestration, etc)
      6.  (I gave up after a few minutes more thought)

  Ron
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: lou gold 
    To: Sean K. Barry 
    Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org 
    Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:44 AM
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns


    I'm with you Kevin.

    Please consider adding "better waste management" to your excellent list.

    lou



    On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 2:39 PM, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com> wrote:

      Hi Kevin,

      We should all be directing our efforts to advancing the use of charcoal 
      additions for whatever reason. There are many good and valid reasons 
      possible for adding char to the soil, such as:

      * Prevention of nutrient loss
      * Prevention of groundwater pollution
      * Supporting beneficial soil life forms
      * Soil conditioning
      * Improved soil moisture capture and retention
      * Promotion of increased plant growth
      * Carbon sequestration
      * Etc...


      This is a great comment, Kevin.  I think you are right on spot with it.  Thank you.

      Regards,

      SKB

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