[Terrapreta] Fwd: eprida char - organic?

Sean K. Barry sean.barry at juno.com
Mon Jan 14 10:28:01 CST 2008 

Hi Larry,

I was just talking to Gerrit about ammonia salts in industrial fertilizers.  There are really several "energy" and/or "carbon" related problems with the production, application, and use of some fertilizers made from fossil carbon.  Breaking natural gas (Methane-CH4) in H2 and CO2 with steam reforming releases copious amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere and takes a fair amount of energy.  Transportation and application of the fertilizer products takes more energy and releases more CO2 emissions, also.  Finally, since ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate fertilizers are water soluble and liberate CO2 when they get wet, they emit more CO2 under use.

As well, the water solubility of fertilizers and the concentration of the Ammonia-NH3, the nitrogen carrier in fertilizers, that is supposed to make them useful, turns out to be a contributing factor in large (up to 40%) losses of the paid for and applied fertilizer products, due to water run off and leaching.  This run off with the soluble nitrogen compounds in it, then contributes to water system nitrification (acidification?).  This said, I think there are some slow release nitrogen fertilizers that are made from fossil carbon, that do not gas off carbon as CO2 under use, or have high run-off losses.  These are slightly better for the environment, but are made of fossil carbon nonetheless.  

This whole list of carbon and energy related problems in fertilizer manufacture and use are all because of basic chemistry.  Carbon is "the" organic molecule, built into and existing amongst living systems.  The protoplasm, fluids, cellulose, cartilage, plants, animals, and humans all have carbon in them.  Organics respire carbon in the form of CO2 and some Methane-CH4.  Its is in organic waste products (manures) and in the soil, our breath, and the air around us.  So, it is the natural way of things that carbon is "in play" with most organic chemistry.  It has this ubiquitous property around living things and their wastes, right?

But, the "balance of carbon" (where it is at and how much is there?) now needs to move in a direction towards less carbon in the air and more in the soils.  This is where I see Terra Preta formation can possibly play a key role in clearing the atmosphere of its excess CO2.  Making Terra Preta can STOP the positive flux of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning, then reverse it, while replacing the fossil carbon energy resources with energy in the products of recent photosynthetic biochemical activity.  Making this adjustment into using renewable, biochemical  sources, that are grown in the present could turn the "energy" industry into the "carbon (CO2) reclamation" industry.

It's a one time fix, too.  Once the "carbon balance" is achieved (to our satisfaction, we would be the ones making it so), then the additional positive carbon flux from burning fossil fuels could be gone.  We will have replaced the fossil carbon energy sources with terrestrial carbon resources that renew annually and use incoming solar energy.  At this point, Nature will again maintain the "carbon balance" for us, because the human "wrench thrown into the works" (fossil carbon fuel burning) will be gone.  This is how we could muster the industrial might of the whole world into really doing something about atmospheric carbon levels and also change the worlds "energy and carbon balance" into something that is far more sustainable than our current modus operandi.

After "carbon reclamation", Terra Preta promises "soil restoration".  I think that's a good "twofer".

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Larry Williams<mailto:lwilliams at nas.com> 
  To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> 
  Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 8:54 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Fwd: eprida char - organic?


  Thanks. I must have forgotten some of the my basic chemistry-------Larry 


  ------------------

  On Jan 14, 2008, at 6:18 AM, Sean K. Barry wrote:


    Hi Larry,

    The short answer is yes, the ammonium salts are all soluble in water and break up into ions.  These become available to plant roots in soluble ionic form.  But, the soil baseline chemistry, pH, and things like cation exchange capacity of the soil also effect the "delivery" of the mineral nutrients to the plants.  Soil structure, water availability and the health and size of soil microorganism populations also play significant roles in helping to "deliver" nutrients to growing plants.

    Regards,

    SKB
      ----- Original Message -----
      From: Larry Williams<mailto:lwilliams at nas.com>
      To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>
      Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:58 AM
      Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Fwd: eprida char - organic?


      Sean-------If I understand your comment correctly... fertilizer salts dissolve in water. Does this mean that when the fertilizer salt dissolve they go into an ionic state that the microbes, fungus or plants can use? Phrased another way, how does the industrial nutrients become available for the plants use?-------Larry 




      ---------------------------------

      On Jan 13, 2008, at 10:06 PM, Sean K. Barry wrote:


        Hi Gerrit,

        Often the carbon component of fertilizers is released to the environment as CO2 when the fertilizer salts dissovle in water.

        Regards,

        SKB
          ----- Original Message -----
          From: Gerald Van Koeverden<mailto:vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
          To: Terra Preta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
          Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:41 PM
          Subject: [Terrapreta] Fwd: eprida char - organic?


          It would be both ironic and disappointing indeed, if the official certifying body for organic farmers rejected an application for Eprida's nitrogenous char as an acceptable fertilizer for several reasons:  
            
          1.  it has a higher 'organic'  - often defined as the amount of carbon - content of any natural fertilizer. 
          2.  the value of the addition of charcoal to soil is being increasingly recognized as highly beneficial to long-term self-sustaining soil fertility.
          3.  certified organic growers would be ecstatic to have another source of nitrogen nutrient to their quest for fertility.  It is the hardest of all the major nutrients to supply 'naturally.'


          Gerrit



            From: Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca<mailto:vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>>
            Date: January 14, 2008 12:06:01 AM EST (CA)
            To: Terra Preta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>>
            Subject: eprida char - organic?


            Has Eprida char been certified for use by organic farmers?  Or would it be considered a 'chemical' source of nitrogen?


            Gerald


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