[TheForge] OT Charcoal

[Peter Hirst]

"This thought process" most certainly does recognize the current carbon 
imbalance.  Properly produced charcoal -- that is, pyrolized in a closed 
retort from the biomass of a well-managed source -- is actually 
carbon-negative.  It reverses "the erosion of plant life that locks up CO2. 
(BTW, plants lock up the C and release the O2) It acheives this through two 
major dynamics.  First, it displaces fossil carbon with carbon that was 
fairly recently sequestered from the carbon cycle and which would return to 
the atmosphere as CO2 and methane anyway, and second, it promotes healthier 
growth of the biomass resource, eventually sequestering more carbon in the 
increased biomass than released by the corresponding charcoal consumption. 
Its also inaccurate to describe the carbon resource as "limited".  The 
carbon resource is a cycle, not a linear flow.  A properly managed charcoal 
operation cycles carbon limitlessly and improves the natural binding system 
as it does so.  And btw, its not just the trees that store the carbon.  If 
you are into charcoal production, try mixing a little in with that compost 
in your tomato patch, about five or ten to one (compost to charcoal).  Not 
only does it sequester the carbon in the soil permanently, but the biomass 
of those plants will be about double what they would reach without the 
bio-char..

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <wmullett at bright.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 8:20 AM
Subject: : [TheForge] OT Charcoal


> The trouble with this thought process is that it doesn't recognize that 
> there is no current carbon balance.  There is only a continuous erosion of 
> plant life that that locks up CO2 while there is an increase in carbon 
> use.
>
> Let's face it - our little bit of CO2 release is not the problem but our 
> attitudes are.  Not only is the carbon fuel source limited but that very 
> efficient, natural CO2 binding system is at risk.
> ============================================================
> From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
> Date: Wed Sep 17, 4:19 PM
> To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT Charcoal
>
> No -- and I hope you don't feeling I am attacking here -- there is a
> difference between coal and oil -- which have been in the ground for 
> 1000's
> if not 1,000,000's of years and trees.  Trees will die and decay releasing
> CO2 in a short peroid of time -- in other words they are already part of 
> the
> current carbon balance.  Oil and Coal on the other hand when burn release
> what in effect is "new" carbon adding to the postive side of the CO2 / 
> solid
> carbon balance.
>
>
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