[Stoves] [biochar] Re: Report on APBC - first two days

Lloyd Helferty lhelferty at sympatico.ca
Sun Sep 18 11:48:28 CDT 2011


Thanks again, Ron.
I'll be looking for more detail about some of the points you brought up, 
namely:

1) Of the "*10 companies* getting some mention" from Stephen Joseph, 
were any /Canadian/?

2) P.S. Interesting note about "/*a lot of activity in Thailand*/".  The 
first time I heard about Biochar activities in Thailand was through 
correspondence with *Bryan Hugill*, who is also a member of /*Biochar 
Ontario*/.

2a) ... Although, the work in Thailand might also be the result of 
*collaboration with the Japanese*.
  I noted that Professor /*Kaneyuki Nakane*/ in the Graduate School of 
Biosphere Sciences, Hiroshima University (within the Division of 
Environmental Dynamics and Management) was "*/making a lot of ongoing 
projects in Thailand/*" with "bamboo charcoal"...
  Professor Nakane is the guy who did the fantastic /*Rooftop Garden*/ 
project(s) with Biochar (in collaboration with the Banks, which use 
greenroofs to *keep the buildings that house ATMs cooler*, and therefore 
/*reduce energy requirements*/).
http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/top/research_HU/researchnow/no12/
See also the section starting about half way down the page about "*The 
Hilltribe People of Thailand* and Burma..."

2b)  I believe that the people of Thailand could probably teach us a 
thing or two about Biochar by now also...
I read once that the King of Thailand had ordered rescue workers to 
"spray the bodies with (powdered) Biochar" after Thailand experienced a 
/*tsunami*/ -- "because the Biochar will 'deodorize' the decaying bodies 
in minutes" -- and also because the Biochar "invites Beneficial 
microorganisms as decomposters" (once the bodies are buried).

3) I would love to see that /*report from Taiwan*/. (As you know, I have 
'close ties' to Taiwan... and had not really heard much of anything from 
that island nation about any Biochar research ~ although I read once 
that /Dynamotive/ was at one point supposedly “developing two plants in 
Taiwan", in cooperation with a company called /Marketech International 
Corporation/.)

4) I find it very interesting that there are no reports coming out of 
China, considering that *Rob Flanagan* had helped a Chinese company 
create one of the very first "/*NPK-C Biochar Fertilizers*/"...

5) Very interesting that "a Governmental *forester*" reported from 
Mongolia. (I didn't think that there were enough trees in Mongolia for 
the government to actually hire a "forester"... perhaps his job title 
should be "reforester" or "afforester".  ;-)
  -- just kidding

6) What is "the /*Cool-Vege */concept" from Japan?

   Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist
   Principal, Biochar Consulting (Canada)
   www.biochar-consulting.ca
   603-48 Suncrest Blvd, Thornhill, ON, Canada
   905-707-8754; 647-886-8754 (cell)
      Skype: lloyd.helferty
   Steering Committee member, Canadian Biochar Initiative
   President, Co-founder&  CBI Liaison, Biochar-Ontario
     Advisory Committee Member, IBI
   http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1404717
   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42237506675
   http://groups.google.com/group/biochar-ontario
   http://www.meetup.com/biocharontario/
   http://grassrootsintelligence.blogspot.com
    www.biochar.ca

Biochar Offsets Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2446475
"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but innovators need to address problems before they become absolute necessities..."


On 2011-09-17 7:14 PM, rongretlarson at comcast.net wrote:
>
> Biochar and stoves lists:
>
>   This to provide a short recap of the third day of the Asian Pacific 
> Biochar Conference (APBC2011).
>
>   The day was again partly (mostly) in English and partly in Japanese 
> (with translations and headsets).  Very good translators. Most of the 
> Asian countries gave a talk.  The starter was Stephen Joseph for 
> Australia.  His was unusual in that it concentrated on corporate 
> activity – at least 10 companies getting some mention.  There were 
> many research papers earlier and few earlier on the privates sector 
> (exception being Adriana Downie and PacPyro mentioned yesterday).  I 
> asked Stephen about organized opposition to Biochar and he said 
> none/little.  He responded partly in terms of early strong support 
> from former PM Malcolm Turnbull – and new government has not changed that.
>
>    I won't go through each (my notes are not so good), but I remember 
> being surprised at a lot of activity in Thailand, and good work in the 
> Philippines.  ( I was surprised that there was no report from Vietnam 
> (where I will be for next three weeks), as Australian Peter Slavich 
> (working full time in Aid project in Vietnam) in earlier private 
> conversation said there was a long history of using spent charred rice 
> husks – and he knew of work of Paul Olivier (who I will be visiting).
>
>    Good report sfrom Taiwan and New Zealand;  none from China.  Report 
> from Mongolia by a Governmental forester, not from Karl Frogner and 
> his UBI group  (Karl had a paper).
>
>    The last two country talks were for Japan.  First was entirely on 
> the Cool-Vege concept.
>
>   Later Prof Ogawa gave excellent Plenary talk - entirely on the 
> extensive Biochar history in Japan.
>
>   Prof.  Johannes gave his usual great talk.  Said he was delighted 
> with progress and optimistic.  That Biochar unknowns are like for any 
> other ag area.
>
>   I have run out of time.  More later.
>
> Ron
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *差出人: *rongretlarson at comcast.net
> *To: *"biochar-policy" <biochar-policy at yahoogroups.com>, "biochar" 
> <biochar at yahoogroups.com>, "Discussion of biomass" 
> <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> *送信済み: *2011年9月17日, 土曜日 午前 7:48:44
> *件名: *Report on APBC - first two days
>
> Biochar and stoves lists:
>
>   This to provide a short recap of the first two days of the Asian 
> Pacific Biochar Conference (APBC2011)
>
>   Maybe 100 persons here – maybe 75 to 80 percent Japanese..
>
>   Regular contributors to these two lists who are here include Tom 
> Miles (and wife and son),  John Miedema,  and Karl Frogner.  Apologies 
> to other list members I don't recognize.  At least 10 other people I 
> judge from Australia (Stephen Joseph, Lukas van Zwieten, Adraian 
> Downie, and Annett Cowie being some I knew previously).   The final 
> Plenary speaker of first day was Evelyn Krull  who gave a wonderful 
> description of the great Biochar work going on in Australia (all or 
> mostly CSIRO??).   They are working with 104 different chars – and 
> identifying what makes each unique  (temperature, species, etc)
>
>     I know two here from Europe – maybe a few more.   Others from US 
> (not or rarely writing to these lists are IBI's Debbie Reed and 
> Johannes Lehmann).  The names of presenters are available at the APBC 
> site.  Two stoves/Biochar list contributors who are in program but 
> couldn't make it are Kelpie Wilson and Jason Aramburo  (and who are 
> missed).
>
>    The first day,  Thursday, was in both Japanese and English – with 
> everyone having earphones for the alternating translation need.  The 
> outstanding talk for me was by IBI's Debbie Reed – giving an exciting 
> summary of the growth of IBI.  About 11,000 hits on the website per 
> month now - and 50% are new first time users each month.  Still plenty 
> of growth in Biochar technical literature, etc.  Debbie gave more 
> background and status on the forthcoming IBI draft standards.  Last 
> night, I attended part of an ad hoc meeting on the standards – which 
> should be available within weeks at the IBI site (for four weeks 
> comment period).    Obviously a lot of work has gone into these 
> standards – but a lot more still to be done.
>
>    Yesterday was all in 20 minute presentations in three parallel 
> tracks.  The majority of the papers seemed to be soil-production 
> related.  Unfortunately (my giving a talk) I missed several coming 
> from Lukas van Zwieten's NSW group on success with N20 capture, but he 
> says that is showing continued importance.  Quite a few talks that 
> relate to the Science article by Dr. Wardle;  no firm answers yet – 
> but conversely I heard nothing that supports the Wardle contention 
> that Biochar causes excess CO2 release.   Adriana Downie gave several 
> talks on her progress towards a new “PacPyro” firm that has just 
> received a major multi-million grant and is going public.  I enjoyed a 
> talk on LCA given by CSIRO's Annette Cowie.
>
>    Today I expect to learn a lot more about Japanese Biochar work as 
> we get back to a single Plenary format and translation. Much evidence 
> of Japan having done Biochar work for a long time – with a 
> government-sanctioned program since the 1980's.   Also Johannes is 
> scheduled for 40 minutes.
>
>    Many new people to meet.  Have enjoyed especially two potential 
> funders from the ADB and FAO and researchers from the Philippines, 
> Korea, and Uganda.  And of course many from Japan.
>
>     The city of Kyoto is exceptionally modern and well maintained – a 
> major tourist town.  Prices seem close to double those I am used to.  
> A cash economy – with my having major difficulties with no (presently 
> valid) ATM card!  Thanks to three listed above who could take my check 
> in exchange for Yen!
>
>     Questions?
>
> Ron
>
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