[Terrapreta] What is TP all about?

[Michael Bailes]

I am also interested in Terra preta nova.
 The reproduction of the ancient Amazonian  Indian farming and gardening
techniques. This goes further than just adding charcoal to soil.
m

2008/5/20 Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com>:

>  Hi TP readers,
>
>
>
> 1.       the intentional use of charcoal in soil
> This includes all discussions about experimentation with growing plants in
> soil that has been amended with charcoal, how to put charcoal into soil,
> what makes good agricultural use charcoal?, how charcoal can improve:
> water-holding capacity, nutrient-holding capacity, CEC, soil structure, and
> etc.  Many in the TP group, I think, tend to believe that this is the only
> topic (#1) on which to comment within this 'terrpretalist' forum.  I do
> believe this is important, but at times, it can be frustrating to be
> dismissed, because one would choose not to discuss only these issues.
>
>
> 2.       sequestration of carbon using charcoal, and
> Now here is the most clearly stated "tie-in" between formation of Terra
> Preta soils and Anthropogenic Global Warming.  We only have one good reason
> to SEQUESTER CARBON in the form of charcoal-in-soil.  The reason is
> recognition of the fact that humans are the ones who are pumping CO2 into
> the atmosphere and this IS changing the climate.  We don't desire most of
> the climate changes occurring as a result and therefore what we need to do
> is STOP putting CO2 into the atmosphere.  If you accept this as topical to
> Terra Preta, then you implicitly accept AGW and remediation efforts by
> humans to combat it.  It seems to me that many in group advocating topic #1
> don't care much about topic #2.
>
>
> 3.       production of charcoal
> There is a great deal of complaining by the group interested in #1, too,
> that charcoal can't be too expensive to use.  When one considers production
> of charcoal via pyrolysis of biomass (in a reactor or a kiln or a retort),
> then one necessarily comes to the realization that along with the charcoal
> will come things like; lots of heat, lots of gases (some energy containing
> fuel gases), and potentially many other forms of liquid chemicals.  The heat
> coming from pyrolysis reactions is called "sensible heat", if it is at a
> temperature significantly hotter than the environment it is released into.
> "Sensible heat" is usable heat.  It can be converted into work (e.g. via
> production of steam and driving of steam powered machinery) or used simply
> to raise the ambient temperatures of things like green houses in winter.
> The energy in fuel gases emitted from pyrolysis can also be converted into
> work or electricity (e.g. producer gas can fuel an internal combustion
> engine that can turn a pump, a compressor, or an electric generator).  The
> gas and liquid fractions from pyrolysis reactions are potential feedstock
> for many hundreds or thousands of other chemical processes (things like
> gas-to-liquid biofuels, insecticides, herbicides, fabrics, etc, .... ask
> Dow, I don't know what they all are).  These are all VALUE ADDED co-products
> with charcoal.  Making charcoal production economically viable will, I
> think, include producing these value added co-products.
>
> In my opinion, Tom has tied together the most important and salient issues
> regarding Terra Preta (#1, #2, and #3).  Any discussion of any of these
> topics is pertinent.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Tom Miles <tmiles at trmiles.com>
> *To:* terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 18, 2008 11:20 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] Just wondering . . .
>
>  All,
>
>
>
> There is no need to wonder. This list is about:
>
>
>
> See: http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/about
>
>
>
>
>
> I am the owner, sponsor and principal host of the list. List moderators
> are: Erich Knight, Michael Bailes and Ron Larson.
>
>
>
> Let's keep the discussion and postings on terra preta. We depend on the
> list members to keep their discussion focused on the topic. There are many
> interesting tangential topics for which there are abundant forums on the
> internet. In the more  than 20 years that I have hosted or moderated online
> discussion lists this is probably the worst list when it comes to people
> wanting to wander off topic.
>
>
>
> Thanks for your cooperation.
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
>
> Tom Miles
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Michael the Archangel
"Politicians will never solve The Problem;
because they don't realise they are The Problem.".
-Robert ( Bob ) Parsons 1995
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