After Ten Years Glacial Gravel Dust still imparts raw mineral power to soil and plant

Molybdenum Missing Element in the Climate Equation Katrina takes aim on the Gulf Goast

Sustainable soil renewal begins by restoring abundant fresh minerals, emphasizing local materials and natural methods. Organic farming pointed in the right direction, and a few pioneers took giant steps beyond reacting against conventional chemical farming. Soil life population density and diversity rapidly rebound with proper applications of minerals, organic matter and inoculants. Ultimately, it's carbon that holds minerals and microbes in a soil matrix.

Pyrolysis—low temperature, low oxygen burning—extracts energy from organic matter as gases and biofuels, with a by-product of bio-char—organic charcoal. This pure, reduced carbon is stable in soil—it can persist for decades, even centuries. In soil, bio-char is a sponge to retain water and nutrients, to supply residences for bacteria, fungi and microscopic life,and to create "microbial reefs" in soil ecology.

This extraction of energy and carbon from organic matter is carbon negative. Even when biofuels are burned, this energy-from-waste technology still sequesters more carbon that it releases. This is the key we need to reverse the greenhouse effect and mitigate global warming.

If carbon and trace minerals are returned to soil each year, then the next year's vegetation will grow thicker and quicker, to sequester even more carbon as new growth. This synergy in successive seasonal surges of green growth can accelerate the removal of carbon from Earth's atmosphere—and improve many other ecological conditions, including nutrient density of food, health of our bodies, and soundness of mind.

Kyoto Protocols' cap & trade carbon exchange economy allows farmers to be paid for carbon captured in soil. Farmers are thus paid to farm sustainably while growing food & fiber—plus biofuel & biochar from organic wastes. Scientists calculate as much carbon can be sequestered in soil as is released by fossil fuels.

EPRIDA Charcoal Peanut Shell Pellets after 400 degree pyrolysis

Seen as soil, the new green is black. And the new black is gold in a carbon economy. Kyoto's carbon-trade economy will need more farms—and many more farmers—to grow more local, fresh, full spectrum foods and fuels.

Nine Northeast states—taken together, as if a single nation—are Earth's seventh largest greenhouse gas emitter. New York's new Governor Elliot Spitzer should have this charcoal sequeseter in soil provision included in the new Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and put a financial foundation under a new carbon-accountable rural economy.

And the best is saved for last. A new marketing strategy for solar energy systems from citizenre allows homeowners to lease photo-voltaic solar arrays—rather than buy them. Rental removes three main barriers that stop homeowners from switching to renewable PV technology: 1) large initial expense, 2) liability for maintenance & repair; 3) investment risk by obsolesence due to new technology. Citizenre's goal is 25% of U.S. households on solar electric by 2050. This will generate a foundation of carbon-free, renewable electricity to jumpstart a carbon-negative biofuel energy system.

Web Links International Agrichar Initiative EPRIDA, Danny Day, Univ. of GA, Athens Johannes Lehmann, Cornell Univ., NY Renew the Earth Agri-char/Bio-char/Terra Preta forum, Britain Dr. Bruno, Germany Hypography Science forum Terra Preta Bioenergy forum Terra Preta

EPRIDA Charcoal in Red Clay after two years

one day workshop for farmers and our future Soil Fertility, Biofuels, & Carbon Sequestration local agriculture and global climate 2-5pm, Sunday, May 20 Saratoga Apple Route 29, Schuylerville, NY $10 per person — $15 per farm * explain full spectrum soil fertility * introduce emerging technologies * detail current research & applications * where to obtain materials & equipment * how plants produce oxygen & fix carbon * L.I.F:E.: Locally Integrated Food Economy * outline basic operating methods * discuss forming a biofuel cooperative renew our regional farm economy for further information 518-695-3131 — 518-330-2587 dyarrow@nycap.rr.com

Corn Test Plots with charcoal at EPRIDA, Univ. of Georgia July 2005

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The Earth Renewal and Restoration Alliance — www.championtrees.org — updated 12/31/2005