Worldwatch & Sierra Club Outline Smart Choices for Biofuels

I have designed an integrated alternative energy system for Maine's Saltwater beef and dairy farms, centered around an anaerobic digester.

The digested slurry is separated into organic solids and a liquid, which is stored as a high N fertilizer.

The solids can become the binder in my wood pellet recipe and used to convert chips from sustainable forestry management of farm owned woodlands and renewable crops like switchgrass into a hot commodity in Maine...WOOD PELLETS!

The organic solids can even be processed independently by the pellet mill, dried and sold as fertilizer pellets----yet another profitable crop for hard pressed dairy farmers.

Maine has thousands of islands with poorly managed woodlots; mounting the pellet mill---the one I'm recommended is made in the U.S. and has a capacity to turn out 60 lbs an hour; on a trailer means it can be leased to small woodlot owners----again another profitable sideline for dairy farmers!

In spite of your claims that biomass production can be accomplished with a minimum of harm to the soil, already severely depleted by agricultural practices over the last century, removal of plant mass, over the long term, will have terrible consequences on soil tilth and structure.

No till is fine, in fact, long overdue on prime soils which are but a fraction of what we found when we spread our industry into virgin land. Move similar practices onto marginal land, and there's a recipe for disaster.

Whether you remove what is conveniently labeled "agricultural waste," manure, or intentionally harvest all or part of plants grown for fiber not fruit, soil structure and its beneficial chemical properties are both bound to decline.

Moreover, production of crops for use in biofuels will exacerbate the problems that we know accompany massive monocropping.

While small scale biofuel production may have a place in the future to satisfy some specialty requirements for portable fuels, large scale production will almost certainly be low margin and require huge tracts of land for achieve efficient production methods. You can't remove without replacing what you take away. We found fecund prairies because nothing had been removed for a very long time.

Some species take well to coppicing and pruning, leaving roots in the ground to make more biomass the next year. In the Southwest, mesquite is a prime species for this. Many leguminous trees set nitrogen in the ground, and trimmings can be buried to enrich the earth if burning is not needed. Mustards can be grown between taller species providing food for humans and animals. Some plants in the brassica family break hard pan pretty well. Roots, greens, flowers, and seeds can all be tasty and useful. The possibilities have not begun to be explored in this domain. While the losses in CDO's boggle the mind, the possibilities in some seeds are quite stunning. I know Canada isn't perfect, but their politicians are eons beyond ours in allowing the production of industrial hemp, for example. Visit your local health food store and count the products made out of hemp! How come Canadian farmers get to make all that money? If we could grow a better crop of so-called leaders, we'd be better off. I hear SunPower's cells are made in the Philippines. The President of the Philippines ceremoniously asked her people to grow gardens in their back yards. In a gardenoholic group I go to, we asked a native Philippina what she thought about that. She rolled her eyes and said that they already do it. I said the President also said the Philippines are doing better with the financial mess than some other places. My friend said, "Well they all whine about how poor they are, but they're always shopping." We used to be that way, and we no doubt will be again if we can stop our leaders from throwing money down endless holes.

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.


The UN recognizes Soil as a Carbon Sink;
UNCCD Submission to Climate Change/UNFCCC AWG-LCA 5
"Account carbon contained in soils and the importance of biochar (charcoal) in replenishing soil carbon pools, restoring soil fertility and enhancing the sequestration of CO2."
www.unccd.int/publicin...

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.
assets.opencrs.com/rpt... .

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 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, build it and they will come.
As one microbologist said on the TP list; "Microbes like to sit down when they eat". By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders of life.

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/newlegislation.html

I hope this it will help you
"The Biochar Revolution" with "The Biochar Solution"
I want to call this book: "All about Biochar" because "The Biochar Revolution" collects the results and best practical advice that these entrepreneurs have to offer to the biochar community.
http://biochar-books.com/
It is a truly biochar Bible.
I believe this is the most beautiful holiday gift for your loved ones.