Biotic Carbon, the carbon transformed by life, should never be
combusted, oxidized and destroyed. It deserves more respect, reverence
even, and understanding to use it back to the soil where 2/3 of excess
atmospheric carbon originally came from.

We all know we are carbon-centered life, we seldom think about the
complex web of recycled bio-carbon which is the true center of life. A
cradle to cradle, mutually co-evolved biosphere reaching into every
crack and crevice on Earth.

It's hard for most to revere microbes and fungus, but from our toes to
our gums (onward), their balanced ecology is our health. The greater
earth and soils are just as dependent, at much longer time scales. Our
farming for over 10,000 years has been responsible for 2/3rds of our
excess greenhouse gases. This soil carbon, converted to carbon
dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide began a slow stable warming that now
accelerates with burning of fossil fuel.

Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back
our soil carbon,

Biochar allows the soil food web to build much more recalcitrant
organic carbon, ( living biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the
carbon in the biochar.

Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural
practice called Terra Preta (black earth, TP), is gaining widespread
credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural
poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!
Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio
fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil
emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration,
Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative
energy cycle.

Biochar viewed as soil Infrastructure; The old saw;
"Feed the Soil Not the Plants" becomes;
"Feed, Cloth and House the Soil, utilities included !".
Free Carbon Condominiums with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and
hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar.
Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come.
As one microbiologist said on the Biochar list; "Microbes like to sit
down when they eat".
By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders of life.

This is what I try to get across to Farmers, as to how I feel about
the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of pertinence and
thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the
Soil Sink Bankers, once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all
the way to it.

One aspect of Biochar systems are Cheap, clean biomass stoves that
produce biochar and no respiratory disease. At scale, the health
benefits are greater than ending Malaria.
A great example;
http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/poznanclimatetalks/docs/Natural%20Dra...

The biochar Fund is also doing amazing work in the developing world;
http://terrapretapot.org/

Also , I would like Rebut the BioFuelWatch folk's recent criticisms
with the petition of 1500 Cameroon Farmers;
The Biochar Fund
http://biocharfund.org/
and to explain their program;
http://biocharfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&I...

The USDA-ARS have dozens of studies happening now to ferret out the
reasons for char affinity with MYC fungi and microbes, but this
synergy is solidly shown by the Japanese work, literally showing 1+1=3

Senator / Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse
this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm
bill,
http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformationevents/newlegislat...

Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful
soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text

Biochar data base; TP-REPP
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node

NASA's Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to
the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central
technology for carbon negative energy systems.
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf

The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils;
Cornell, ISU, U of H, U of GA, Virginia Tech, JMU, New Zealand and
Australia.

Soil Carbon Sequestration Standards Committee.  Hosted by Monsanto,
this group of diverse interests has been hammering out issues of
definition, validation and protocol. The past week, this group have
been pressing soil sequestration's roll for climate legislation to
congress.
http://www.novecta.com/documents/Carbon-Standard.pdf

Along these lines internationally,  the work of the IBI fostering the
application by 13 countries for UN recognition of soil carbon as a
sink with biochar as a clean development mechanism  will open the door
for programs across the globe.
http://www.biochar-international.org/biocharpolicy.html.

Reports:
This new Congressional Research Service report (by analyst Kelsi
Bracmort) is the best short summary I have seen so far - both
technical and policy oriented.
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40186_20090203.pdf .

This is the single most comprehensive report to date, covering more of
the Asian and Australian work;
http://www.csiro.au/files/files/poei.pdf

Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil
sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other
subject addresses them all?

This is a Nano technology for the soil that represents the most
comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term
stewardship and sustainability.

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.
Cheers,
Erich

Erich J. Knight
Eco Technologies Group Technical Adviser
University of California Riverside advisory board member
Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)
1047 Dave Barry Rd.
McGaheysville, VA. 22840
540 289 9750
Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list  TP-REPP

I will be speaking at the first North American Biochar Conference, in
Boulder Aug 12-15, about my efforts to network the many disciplines
and organizations researching and implementing biochar systems.
Keynote speaker Secretary Tom Vilsack & Dr. Susan Solomon (NOAA's head
atmospheric scientist) at.
 http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=684390

 My attendence is thanks to the folks at EcoTechnologies Group .
( http://www.ecotechnologies.com/index.html ,  they have also fully
funded my field trials with the Rodale Institute & JMU)

Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;

Most all this work corroborates char soil dynamics we have seen so
far . The soil GHG emissions work showing increased CO2 , also
speculates that this CO2 has to get through the hungry plants above
before becoming a GHG.
The SOM, MYC& Microbes, N2O (soil structure), CH4 , nutrient holding ,
Nitrogen shock, humic compound conditioning, absorbing of herbicides
all pretty much what we expected to hear.

578-I: http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4231.html

579-II http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4496.html

665 - III. http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4497.html

666-IV http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Session4498.html

Company News & EU Certification

Below is an important hurtle that 3R AGROCARBON has overcome in
certification in the EU. Given that their standards are set much
higher than even organic certification in the US, this work should
smooth any bureaucratic hurtles we may face.

EU Permit Authority - 4 years tests
Subject: Fwd: [biochar] Re: GOOD NEWS: EU Permit Authority - 4 years
tests successfully completed

Doses: 400 kg / ha – 1000 kg / ha at different horticultural cultivars

Plant height Increase 141 % versus control
Picking yield Increase 630 % versus control
Picking fruit Increase 650 % versus control
Total yield Increase 202 % versus control
Total piece of fruit Increase 171 % versus control
Fruit weight Increase 118 % versus control

HOMEPAGE 3R AGROCARBON: http://www.3ragrocarbon.com

Also:

EcoTechnologies is planning for many collaborations ; NC State, U. of
Leeds, Cardiff U. Rice U. ,JMU, U.of H. and at USDA with Dr.Jeffrey
Novak who is coordinating ARS Biochar research. This Coordinated
effort will speed implementation by avoiding unneeded repetition and
building established work in a wide variety of soils and climates.
http://www.EcoTechnologies.com

Hopefully all the Biochar companies will coordinate with Dr. Jeff
Novak's soils work at ARS;  http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/people/people.htm?personid=24434

I spoke with Jon Nilsson of the CarbonChar Group, in their third year
of field trials ;
An idea whose time has come | Carbon Char Group
He said the 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in
yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 - 5 cups (2 - 5%)
"Biochar+" per cubic foot of growing medium. http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performance

 Most recent studies out;

Imperial College test,
 this work in temperate soils gives data from which one can calculate
savings on fertilizer use, which is expected to be ongoing with no
additional soil amending.

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/1755-1315/6/37/372052/ees9_6_372052.pdf...

The BlueLeaf Inc. and Dynamotive study are exciting results given how
far north the site is,and the low application rates. I suspect, as we
saw with the Imperial College test, the yield benefits seem to
decrease the cooler the climate.
The study showed infiltration rates for moisture are almost double.
The lower leaf temperatures puzzles me however, I thought around 21C
was optimum for photosynthesis.

BlueLeaf Inc. and Dynamotive Announce Biochar Test Results CQuest(TM)
Biochar Enriched Plots Yield Crop Increase Ranging From Six to
Seventeen Percent vs. Control Plots
http://www.usetdas.com/TDAS/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=13603

The full study at Dynomotives site;
http://www.dynamotive.com/wp-content/themes/dynamotive/pdf/BlueLeaf_B...

Low Tech Clean Biochar;
http://holon.se/folke/carbon/simplechar/simplechar.shtml