[Stoves] MUST CHARCOAL BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

[Jeff Davis]

Dear All,


All Black people are X and all White people are Y. Is that how we see
the world - shame on us. All fuel charcoal is bad and all fuel wood is
good. Is that how we see the world - shame on us. It's immature to say
that charcoal can not be produced cleanly, can only be made from wood
and can not be produced efficiently.

This is something that I have shared before but it may not hurt to
repeat it. In the past I had a hot water heater, used for heating a
building, that burned wood. One thing that I observed was that after the
flames died down and the coals built up my water temperature lowered
dramatically. That's when I started to collect the charcoal for other
uses. Ultimately this could lead to higher efficiencies. Another claim
that could back this up is the statement from maple syrup producers, "It
takes flames to boil syrup not coals." Now this is surly influenced by
the design of the combustion device but also a possible source of
opportunity. In other words; I can have my cake and eat it to, or, I can
have my heat and engine fuel to or what ever you want to use charcoal
for. Ponder.

One statement that is constantly written on this list is, "use the small
limbs from the trees and do not cut the whole tree." This is a false
economy. A tree is a conductor of current, nutrients flow from the soil
up the stem to the top of the tree then the leaves and limbs fall back
down to the ground to be recycled. In this case the tree is not
conducting electricity but nutrients. People need to be able to see this
fundamental process. If you have the capacity to understand this you
will see the reason for selectively harvesting the tree trunks and
leaving the tops and small diameter wood. The nutrients in the tree are
in the branches, bark and leaves, the stem having the least amount. It's
also good to leave the bark in the woodlot. Otherwise, in time, you will
kill off your woodlot. It is not the tree that cleans the air it is the
whole system that cleans the air and if you steal the small diameter
wood your essentially shorting out this system.

It doesn't matter whether your fuel is wood, grass, weed or crop residue
there still is a common denominator. If you care for the soil the soil
will take care of your biomass.


Best regards,


Jeff