"Begetting a virtuous cycle" , I particularly like these quotes in this
14 Aug article:
Published on 14 Aug 2006 by WorldChanging. Archived on 14 Aug 2006.
Terra Preta: black is the new green by David Zaks and Chad Monfreda
This piece was originally published on Worldchanging.com, "the world's
leading sustainability blog."
http://www.energybulletin.net/19281.html "Claims for biochar's capacity to capture carbon sound almost
audacious. Johannes Lehmann, soil scientist and author of Amazonian
Dark Earths: Origin, Properties, Management, believes that a strategy
combining biochar with biofuels could ultimately offset 9.5 billion
tons of carbon per year-an amount equal to the total current fossil
fuel emissions! "
And:
"Terra preta's full beauty appears in this closed loop. Unlike
traditional sequestration rates that follow diminishing marginal
returns-aquifers fill up, forests mature-practices based on terra preta
see increasing returns. Terra preta doubles or even triples crop
yields. More growth means more terra preta, begetting a virtuous cycle.
While a global rollout of terra preta is still a ways away, it heralds
yet another transformation of waste into resources. "
This is an interesting "FLash Carbonization" process. I've sent Dr Antal the Terra preta links and asked if he has considered this profound, but simple, some what orphaned, process that can provide Bio-fuels and fertility too.
http://www.hnei.hawaii.edu/bio.r3.asp#flashcarb And the home page:
http://www.hnei.hawaii.edu/biocarbon.asp Biocarbons (charcoal)
Consider the following riddle:
I am renewable;
I am a chemical element;
as a fuel I am often less expensive ($/GJ) than natural gas;
my energy density (GJ/m3) can exceed that of ethanol or LPG;
and my combustion does not add to the CO2 in the atmosphere;
I am easily stored and safe to transport;
I clean the water you drink and the air you breathe;
Plants grow best in soils that are enriched with me;
I am a key ingredient in the production of semiconductors;
When eaten I settle an upset stomach and clean the intestines; and
No one is afraid of me!
What am I?
(if you don't know, please find the answer at the bottom of this page).
The Table below lists the current prices of conventional fossil fuels
and their renewable alternatives. Observe that at its current price,
without any tax incentives or other government subsidies, charcoal is
cost-competitive with alternative fossil fuels. In fact, charcoal is
the only renewable fuel that is now cost competitive with fossil fuels.
Remarkably, at its current price (equal to oil at about $7/GJ) the
production of charcoal is very profitable. This fact is well-known to
charcoal producers, but not to the general public.
FUEL PRICES Fossil Renewable
Coal See note 1 Charcoal $3-8/GJ
Oil $3-11/GJ Ethanol $14/GJ
Natural gas $2-12/GJ Hydrogen $18-24/GJ
Note 1: because of its high content of mercury, sulfur, and other
noxious elements and compounds, the price of coal is not comparable to
the other (relatively clean) fuels listed. To be comparable, the price
of coal should include the necessary cleanup of these noxious materials
(especially mercury) at the outlet of the powerplant. Unfortunately,
reliable data on the cleanup costs are not easily available.
In addition to the fact that charcoal is cost-competitive with fossil
fuels, the markets for charcoal are more diverse (and potentially
larger) than those open to any other fuel. What other fuel enjoys
markets as a potting soil, health food, water purifier, soil amendment,
air purifier, metallurgical reductant, and cooking fuel?
Furthermore, landfills in the State of Hawaii are overburdened. The
Table below illustrates the amount of charcoal ("black gold") that can
be manufactured annually by the Flash Carbonization? process from
each county's waste stream. Note that the current wholesale price of
charcoal ($246 per ton) imported to the USA is equivalent to oil at
$46/bbl on an energy basis. The production of "black gold" from
Hawaii's green wastes could become a $50 million per year (or more)
business for a visionary entrepreneur.
For these reasons, biocarbons (i.e., charcoals) are an important
element of HNEI's overall R&D programs. The ancient technology of
charcoal manufacture has seen dramatic recent improvements in HNEI's
Renewable Resources Research Laboratory (R3Lab). Work continues on
optimizing reaction conditions for using the Flash Carbonization?
process with biomass. UH Flash Carbonization? process patents are
being actively licensed. Research efforts are also continuing on
biocarbon fuel cell concepts.
(Answer to riddle: charcoal!)
Erich J. Knight
