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

Tue Dec 27 01:08:50 CST 2011

Ron,

I ran across the article while reviewing news of Cameroon at  
allafrica.com, something I do about once a month to keep up with news in  
the Bakassi area.  I posted it without comment and asked that it be  
forwarded to the Biochar list.  Until your cross-post, there had been no  
discussion of the article.

I was inclined to let sleeping dogs lie, but since you broke the ice, I  
strongly disagree with your statement that, "It doesn't belong - there is  
zero stoves aspect to the BFW story."  You continually advocate biochar on  
this list, yet an article critical of the merits of biochar and carbon  
credit schemes has no place in the discussion?  I don't know or claim to  
know if the article is correct or biased or a complete fabrication.  I  
felt it was important that people are aware of what is being discussed in  
the broader arena.  If I or someone else on this list am planning on using  
a carbon credit scheme to fund a biochar producing stove project (purely,  
hypothetical in my case), it makes perfect sense to know what policy  
makers, clients, and donors are reading about it.  More importantly, if I  
or someone else on this list was looking at the possibility of promoting a  
biochar producing stove by invoking carbon credits and soil improvement,  
would it not be the professional thing to do to look at more than one side  
of the story before committing time, money and reputation to it?

I have read the BFW article and the discussion thread you referenced.  I  
recommend that those who are interested in the subject do the same.  I  
also did a quick search for BFW in my Stoves list archives and there are 3  
threads: "Have a look at Biochar Land Grabbing in Africa", April 26, 2010;  
"Biochar", April 27, 2010; "WorldStove replies to BioFuelWatyche's latest  
imprecise reporting of facts.", July 17, 2011.  An entertaining review, if  
you have the time.  I thought I had read something similar before, and now  
I know why.

Andrew Parker

On Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:01:41 -0700, <rongretlarson at comcast.net> wrote:

> 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
> :
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> 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
>>> mailing list>>to Send a Message to the list, use the email address>
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>>> >.org>>for
>>> more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web
>>> >> site:> http://www.bioenergylists.org/ >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >****
>>>
>>> ****
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
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