[Gasification] Time to Master the Carbon Cycle

Tue Jan 16 10:36:10 CST 2007

Forwarded to the List:

From: Shengar at aol.com 

To: engineerpoet38215 at yahoo.com 

Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 1:54 PM

Subject: Time to Master the Carbon Cycle

Dear Engineer Poet, ( It would be nice to know your name)

The following post I plan to submit to Slashdot and some other online news
sites. I thought I would run it past you for review first.

I used your Carbon PPM numbers , was your source for this from IPCC? 

http://ergosphere.blogspot.com/2006/11/sustainability-energy-independence-an
d.html

Your 230 ton carbon remediation number to stabilise the climate fits
elegantly with this estimate from Dr. Bill Ruddiman at U. VA. , who's work
is cited by Duane Pendergrass:

http://www.computare.org/Support%20documents/Fora%20Input/CCC2006/Energy%20P
aper%2006_05.htm

"Best estimate is that the total loss of forest and soil carbon (combined 
pre-industrial and industrial) has been about 200-240 billion tons.  Of 
that, the soils are estimated to account for about 1/3, and the vegetation 
the other 2/3.  Some estimates have said that 1/3 of the total was 
pre-industrial and 2/3 industrial.  I think it may have been more like 
50/50.
Regards,
Bill Ruddiman"

Thanks for any editorial help

Erich

Time to Master the Carbon Cycle

Man has been controlling the carbon cycle , and there for the weather, since
the invention of agriculture, all be it was as unintentional, as our current
airliner contrails are in affecting global dimming. This unintentional warm
stability in climate has over 10,000 years, allowed us to develop to the
point that now we know what we did and that now we are over doing it. 

The prehistoric and historic records gives a logical thrust for soil carbon
sequestration. 
I wonder what the soil biome carbon concentration was REALLY like before the
cutting and burning  of the world's virgin  forest, my guess is that now we
see a severely diminished community, and that only very recent Ag practices
like no-till and reforestation have started to help rebuild it.  It makes
implementing Terra Preta soil technology like an act of penitence, a
returning of the misplaced carbon. 

 Energy, the carbon cycle and greenhouse gas management

http://www.computare.org/Support%20documents/Fora%20Input/CCC2006/Energy%20P
aper%2006_05.htm

On the Scale of CO2 remediation:

It is my understanding that atmospheric CO2 stands at 379 PPM, to stabilize
the climate we need to reduce it to 350 PPM by the removal of 230 Billion
tons.

The best estimates I've found are that the total loss of forest and soil
carbon (combined 
pre-industrial and industrial) has been about 200-240 billion tons.  Of 
that, the soils are estimated to account for about 1/3, and the vegetation 
the other 2/3. 

Since man controls 24 billion tons in his agriculture then it seems we have
plenty to work with in sequestering our fossil fuel co2 emissions as
charcoal.

As Dr. Lehmann at Cornell points out, "Closed-Loop Pyrolysis systems such as
Day's are the only way to make a fuel that is actually carbon negative". and
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! " 
 <http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/l...ochar_home.htm>
http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/l...ochar_home.htm

 Carbon Negative Bio fuels and Fertility Too 

This new soil technology speaks to so many different interests and
disciplines that it has not been embraced fully by any.  I'm sure you will
see both the potential of this system and the convergence needed for it's
implementation.

The integrated energy strategy offered by Charcoal based Terra Preta Soil
technology may
provide the only path to sustain our agricultural and fossil fueled power
structure without climate degradation, other than nuclear power.

The economics look good, and truly great if we had CO2 cap & trade in place:

  These are processes where you can have your Bio-fuels, Carbon
sequestration and fertility too.

'Terra Preta' soils I feel has great possibilities to revolutionize
sustainable agriculture into a major CO2 sequestration strategy. 
I thought, I first read about these soils in " Botany of Desire " or
"Guns,Germs,&Steel" but I could not find reference to them. I finely found
the reference in Charles Mann's "1491", but I did not realize their
potential .

I have heard that National Geographic is preparing a big Terra Preta (TP)
article.

Nature article: Putting the carbon backBlack is the new green:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7103/full/442624a.html
(subscription needed)

 Here's the Cornell page for an over view:
http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/biochar/Biochar_home.htm

This Earth Science Forum thread on these soils contains further links, and
has been viewed by 13,000 folks. ( I post everything I find on Amazon Dark
Soils, ADS here):  
http://forums.hypography.com/earth-science/3451-terra-preta.html

The Georgia Inst. of Technology page:
http://www.energy.gatech.edu/presentations/dday.pdf 

There is an ecology going on in these soils that is not completely
understood, and if replicated and applied at scale would have multiple
benefits for farmers and environmentalist. 

Terra Preta creates a terrestrial carbon reef at a microscopic level. These
nanoscale structures provide safe haven to the microbes and fungus that
facilitate fertile soil creation, while sequestering carbon for many hundred
if not thousands of years. The combination of these two forms of
sequestration would also increase the growth rate and natural sequestration
effort of growing plants.

Here is a great article that high lights this pyrolysis process , (
http://www.eprida.com/hydro/ ) which could use existing infrastructure to
provide Charcoal sustainable Agriculture , Syn-Fuels, and a variation of
this process would also work as well for H2 , Charcoal-Fertilizer, while
sequestering CO2 from Coal fired plants to build soils at large scales , be
sure to read the  "See an initial analysis NEW"  link of this technology to
clean up Coal fired power plants.
 Soil erosion, energy scarcity, excess greenhouse gas all answered through
regenerative carbon management
http://www.newfarm.org/columns/research_paul/2006/0106/charcoal.shtml

All the Bio-Char Companies and equipment manufactures  I've found:

  <http://carbondiversion.com/> Carbon Diversion
http://www.carbondiversion.com/

Eprida: Sustainable Solutions for Global Concerns

http://www.eprida.com/home/index.php4

BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. | Slow Pyrolysis - Biomass - Clean Energy - Renewable
Ene

http://www.bestenergies.com/companies/bestpyrolysis.html

 <http://dynamotive.com/> Dynamotive Energy Systems | The Evolution of
Energy
http://www.dynamotive.com/

 <http://ensyn.com/what/whatwedo.htm> Ensyn - Environmentally Friendly
Energy and Chemicals
http://www.ensyn.com/who/ensyn.htm

 <http://agri-therm.com/> Agri-Therm, developing bio oils from agricultural
waste
http://www.agri-therm.com/

 <http://advbiorefineryinc.ca/> Advanced BioRefinery Inc.
http://www.advbiorefineryinc.ca/

 <http://technologyreview.com/Energy/17298/> Technology Review: Turning
Slash into Cash
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17298/

Korea:

International K&K Enterprise Others

http://www.alibaba.com/company/10406050.html#companyprofile

The upcoming International Agrichar Initiative (IAI) conference to be held
at Terrigal, NSW, Australia in 2007. (  http://iaiconference.org/home.html
) 
.

If pre-Columbian Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over
20% of the Amazon basin it seems that our energy and agricultural industries
could also product them at scale. 

Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the
whole equation of EROEI for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only
sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels
for fertilizer.

We need this super community of wee beasties to work in concert with us by
populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos.

I feel Terra Preta soil technology is the greatest of Ironies.
That is: an invention of pre-Columbian American culture, destroyed by
western disease, may well be the savior of industrial western society.

Thanks,
Erich 

Erich J. Knight 
Shenandoah Gardens
E-mail: shengar at aol.com
(540) 289-9750 