[Stoves] [biochar] allAfrica.com: Africa: Biochar - Unfulfilled Promises in Cameroon

Tue Dec 27 01:20:13 CST 2011

Andrew C, David, Clem, Xmas Cheers,  Erich, Ron, Kevin and ccs:

Biochar is not the best method of application to improve soil fertility.
The most effective method of improving soil fertility is fertilizationof green wood waste obtained during the processing of essential oils.
The amount of waste wood green compared to biochar get more.Essential oils in it are removed. This waste wood greens are an excellent material for planting and breeding Californian worm.
In addition, Africans get a well paid job, producing essential oilsfrom native trees.
Turn me into a program to improve soil fertility in Africa. I will create a perfect equipment for wood waste-free green tar, tar, taroils. It Californian worms will reproduce and velshikolepno Africawill gradually blooming and fragrant country. I'm ready now to join in this cause.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rongretlarson at comcast.net 
  To: biochar at yahoogroups.com ; Discussion of biomass ; Kevin Chisholm 
  Cc: Erich Knight ; biochar-policy 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 8:01 AM
  Subject: Re: [Stoves] [biochar] allAfrica.com: Africa: Biochar - Unfulfilled Promises in Cameroon

  Kevin and ccs:

     1.  This is getting complicated - as the dialog has shifted from the BFW story on Africa/Rademakers over to the IBI material.prepared by Kelpie Wilson.  My perception is that you are looking for specific information from both reports that were not intended and aren't there.  So I see no reason to respond to your questions about Kelpie's IBI work .

    2.  The BFW story was covered on the biochar lists about a month ago;  see:
        http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar-production/message/833
    It is unfortunate that this story is started over again on the stoves list.  It doesn't belong - there is zero stoves aspect to the BFW story..  

     3.  I look forward to hearing your reaction to the selected quotes from BFW's report - which I presume you have not yet read.

  Ron
     :

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: "Kevin C" <kchisholm at ca.inter.net>
  To: biochar at yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, December 26, 2011 8:37:12 AM
  Subject: Re: [biochar] [Stoves] allAfrica.com: Africa: Biochar - Unfulfilled Promises in Cameroon

  Dear Erich
  Quoting Erich Knight <erichjknight at gmail.com>:

  > The Black Market speaks louder than words;
  > What better positive proof than the section about the dark side of our
  > nature, the thieft of the biochar corn, believed to be some new breed of
  > magic bean, I believe the judgement of the blackmarket has a lot to say
  > about the true results of this effort.
  > I would like to see how many participants were excluded from the project
  > because of this.
  > This BFW report on Lauren's work only looks bad to folks who don't have an
  > appreciation of the communication and infrastructural problems of
  > working in Africa. He tried to enroll 1500, got less, but the smiling faces
  > holding up the corn root balls is irrefutable to me.

  # OK!! That is wonderful!! What specifically was it that those who had 
  good results do, that was good, and what specifically did those with 
  bad results do, that was bad? It might have been that those who had 
  the good results put on more than the usual amount of compost and 
  fertilizer, and watered their crops adequately, while those with the 
  poor results simply added biochar alone, and did not water the crop 
  adequately. From the Report, we just don't know.
  >
  > In response, ( if I had the author's email ) , I would send her the soil
  > testing work in Kenya, Uganda and the work
  > Pro-Natura has done across the global south.

  # Does it tell specifically how much of biochar, compost, fertilizer 
  to add per square meter, for the soils in that area? Does the Report 
  tell whether or not the treatment is an economically sound move for 
  the Farmer? If I was a poor Farmer, with limited resources, such 
  information would be very valuable to me.
  >
  > *Biochar Work** in Nine Developing Countries:
  > *http://www.biochar-international.org/9country*

  # The above Report is all about experiemnts underway now. There are no 
  results showing the circumstances, if any, under which biochar would 
  be a sensible investment for a poor Farmer. Please let us know when 
  results from these 9 tests are available.
  >
  > World Bank Study:* The survey data from 150 biochar projects located in 38
  > developing countries is available now on the IBI website at:
  > http://www.biochar-international.org/sites/default/files/IBI_Survey_5-11-11_online.pdf<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0EjclpuNkm8%2Be%2B4l0rwVIf1odzqaGaMk>
  > .
  # If I was a poor Farmer, and read this latter report, it would be 
  interesting, but it would suggest that biochar is still very much in 
  the experimental phase, and I would not wish to spend my meagre 
  resources on something that was not proven.

  Best wishes,

  Kevin Chisholm

  >
  > Xmas Cheers,
  > Erich
  >
  >
  > *On Behalf Of *Kevin C
  >
  >> *Sent:* Sunday, December 25, 2011 11:00 PM
  >> *To:* biochar at yahoogroups.com
  >> *Subject:* Re: [biochar] [Stoves] allAfrica.com: Africa: Biochar -
  >> Unfulfilled Promises in Cameroon****
  >>
  >> ** **
  >>
  >> ****
  >>
  >> Dear David and Clem
  >>
  >> It is just as wrong to falsely condemn biochar as being ineffective as
  >> it is to falsely praise biochar as being effective.
  >>
  >> The Cameroon Report tells of a series of tests that turned out badly.
  >> If this is a true report of a biochar test, then biochar supporters
  >> should have great concerns. The issue here is: Is the report correct
  >> or not? It is very wrong to criticize the report simply because it
  >> reports results which we do not like to hear.
  >>
  >> So, if you wish to criticize this report, it would be very helpful to
  >> do so, but to do so in a helpful manner, you must show where it is
  >> wrong.
  >> * Was data falsified?
  >> * Was poor testing protocol followed?
  >> * Were the soil circumstances inappropriate for the use of biochar?
  >> * Was the test work competently managed and executed?
  >> * Etc...
  >>
  >> It would be very surprising indeed if every single biochar test was a
  >> resounding success, and it would be equally surprising if every single
  >> biochar test was a failure. I am sure that there are circumstances
  >> where the use of biochar is appropriate, and I am equally sure that
  >> there are circumstances where biochar is inapropriate.
  >>
  >> My problem is just that: I don't know where to recommend biochar as
  >> being appropriate, and I don't know where to recommend it as being
  >> inappropriate.
  >>
  >> Can you help me, and everyone else who would like to use biochar, if
  >> it made economic sense?
  >>
  >> Thanks.
  >>
  >> Kevin Chisholm
  >>
  >> Quoting David Yarrow <dyarrow5 at gmail.com>:
  >>
  >> > hear, hear, clement.
  >> > beware the hidden agenda funded by invisible enemies.
  >> > these people do not use honest reason or plain facts to advance
  >> > their charges.
  >> > their motivation is not rational or reasonable.
  >> > beware the smokescreen.
  >> > ~dancing dragonfly
  >> >
  >> > On Dec 26, 2011, at 1:22 AM, Clement Aigbogun wrote:
  >> >
  >> >>
  >> >> --
  >> >> Can you please explain to the list why you are making a suble
  >> condemnation
  >> >> Of something you have not tried yourself?
  >> >> You must have a hidden agenda.I have tried biochar on soil and
  >> >> plant and I tell you it produce
  >> >> Excellent results.
  >> >> Please try and experiment with biochar before making any
  >> >> pronouncement about it.
  >> >> Clement
  >> >> Nigeria
  >> >> PS- feel free to ask me sincere questions about biochar and its
  >> >> uses and I shall provide
  >> >> Answers based on my ongoing experiment on biochar utilisation.
  >> >> I would provide useful answers if you are polite and not just
  >> >> trying to bring down a useful idea because of you hidden agenda
  >> >>
  >> >> ----------------------------On Sun, Dec 25, 2011 5:40 PM GMT-12:00
  >> >> Andrew C. Parker wrote:>Could someone please post this to the
  >> >> Biochar
  >> >> 
  >> list?>><http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201112160395.html>>>_______________________________________________>Stoves
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  >> >>
  >> >
  >> >****
  >>
  >> ****
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >

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