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

[Lloyd Helferty]

Thank you very much Brian for that great report.

Probably the most significant part of what you wrote is that, " charred
rice husk... has been used as long as people can remember."
I will have to keep my eyes open for work from /*Kasetsaert University*/.

Thanks for pointing out that *Karl Frogner* has also "been involved in
some biochar production/use work in Thailand". I was not aware of that
[...I only know of his work in *Mongolia*].

Having 3,500 farmers in a "farmers network" who are "interested" in your
work with Biochar is fantastic!

This is why here in Ontario/Canada I would like to work with
organizations like the NFU, which is also very active internationally
through, for instance, /*La Via Campesina*/.
http://viacampesina.org/main_en/ ; http://www.nfu.ca/international.html.
The NFU is a non-partisan, nation-wide democratic organization made up
of thousands of farm families from across Canada who produce a wide
variety of commodities, including grains, livestock, fruits and vegetables.
Their membership is also open to *Urban Farmers*.

  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 2011-09-19 5:42 AM, Bryan Hugill wrote:
> Dear Lloyd,
>
> The most significant type of biochar that's I've seen in Thailand has
> been the use of charred rice husk (no shortage of that feedstock in
> Thailand!), which has been used as long as people can remember. The
> largest user has been the horticultural sector; however, I have also
> seen char being made from various other agricultural waste feedstocks
> and there's murmuring of the introduction of biochar cookstoves in my
> province (all happening at a relatively small-scale though, but
> repeated a HUGE number of times).
>
> Re. the charcoal side of things, Thailand has a fairly long history of
> charcoal production from all manner of feedstocks, although the most
> common today are eucalyptus, rubberwood (sometimes), bamboo (through
> the Japanese influence), and another wood type that I am unable to
> recognise as yet (no mangroves in my area, so I don't know the extent
> to which they're being used). There is also some collection of wood
> smoke distillate, but the market is still very small (read: the
> fertilizer and pesticides industries are still too strong).
>
> Karl Frogner has also been involved in some biochar production/use
> work in Thailand (in collaboration with Kasetsaert University),
> although I don't know the status of the project at the moment. And,
> looking at the agenda for the Kyoto Biochar Conference, I also see
> that Kasetsaert University is involved in more biochar work, although
> us "little people" have yet to actually see anything come out.
>
> Something that may be of interest to you is that we're in the process
> of putting together a farmers network in our province and I'd like to
> begin trialling rice husk biochar through it in a more targeted way
> (currently, there are 3,500 farmers interested), so I hope to have
> some solid data/results coming up in the next few years :) This will
> be done in conjunction with various other soil amendments, growing
> methods, crop types, and lab testing of soil mineral content and crop
> nutritional content (depending on the health of my bank account, as
> this will all be self financed until we can find a donor/sponsor), so
> hopefully there'll be some good stuff in there.
>
> Cheers,
> Bryan
> _________________
> Bryan Hugill
> Co-founder and Environmental Manager
> RAITONG ORGANICS FARM
> Tel: +66 (0)85 915 0961
> E-mail: info at raitongorganics.com <mailto:info at raitongorganics.com>
> Skype: bryan_hugill
> www.raitongorganics.com <http://www.raitongorganics.com/>
> www.khaosrikram.com <http://www.khaosrikram.com/>
> www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=140808370801
> <http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=140808370801>
>
> LET'S GO ORGANIC FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND GOOD HEALTH!
>
>
>
> On 18 September 2011 18:48, Lloyd Helferty <lhelferty at sympatico.ca
> <mailto:lhelferty at sympatico.ca>> wrote:
>
>     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 <http://www.biochar-consulting.ca>
>       603-48 Suncrest Blvd, Thornhill, ON, Canada
>       905-707-8754 <tel:905-707-8754>; 647-886-8754 <tel: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 <http://www.biochar.ca>
>
>     Biochar Offsets Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2446475 <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
>     <mailto: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
>>     <mailto:rongretlarson at comcast.net>
>>     *To: *"biochar-policy" <biochar-policy at yahoogroups.com>
>>     <mailto:biochar-policy at yahoogroups.com>, "biochar"
>>     <biochar at yahoogroups.com> <mailto:biochar at yahoogroups.com>,
>>     "Discussion of biomass" <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
>>     <mailto: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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