[Stoves] [biochar] Where to discuss STOVES AND CARBON offsets and drawdown

Tue Sep 12 11:52:02 CDT 2017

In the US, a number of “just anybody” organizations create certification protocols. Eventually they settle down to a few. We have many industry standards that begin as voluntary standards and eventually get worked into law.  These are often called “working standards” while under development by professional and public-private organizations. Sometimes public agencies will enforce a standard before an industry-government committee has fully developed it. This is usually done in the name of public safety. Often public agencies with authority will only accept products that meet the standards of specified organizations. I understand that has been the approach of some countries in Europe where only the European Biochar Certificate is recognized by the governments. The governments then enforce the regulation to ensure that the products continue to be made following the EBC protocols. EBC certification is costly and products must be tested frequently. 

Starting in 2008 International Biochar Initiative developed a biochar certification process. To date only California has adopted the protocol. The standards and protocol can be found on the IBI website. It has three components: safety, stability, and sustainability. Products must pass toxicity limits for the local government. They must meet a minimum level of stability, as measured by the ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon in the biochar. The lower the ratio the more stable the carbon. The IBI Standard uses these ratios to estimate the longevity of the carbon in soil. If you know the composition of your char you can estimate the potential longevity by using the IBI Classification tool on the IBI website. http://www.biochar-international.org/classification_tool

http://www.biochar-international.org/characterizationstandard

Sustainability is often the biggest challenge. That is becoming easier in some areas as more wood companies are adopting standards by organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC). FSC has been active with charcoal production in Namibia. 

While there are standards, like the Gold Standard, for carbon offsets or carbon reduction using biomass stoves, there are no accepted standards for using stoves to make biochar for carbon sequestration. The IBI Standard has not been adopted by a body such as the UNFCCC. Organizations that provide incentives for using biochar producing stoves do so following their own criteria. What organizations now offer financial incentives for making biochar from stoves? 

A smallholder in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) may be quite happy to receive an incentive for making biochar in a TLUD and putting into a planting hole, water catchment garden, or crop for his/her own use. Ten years ago a farmer from The Gambia told us that he improved germination and wheat yields when he added biochar to compost at the bottom of water catchment “zai” holes. If he has continued that practice he should have some very healthy soil by now. An urban family may not have as much direct use for biochar and could be happy to sell it. 

Studies of fuel supply and household energy in SSA show that people obtain fuels from a wide variety of sources. These studies also identify the wide variety of factors that influence fuel choices. The World Agroforestry Centre in Kenya ( http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ) and others are keenly aware of the impact of fuel consumption on wood and agricultural resources. They point out that in Tanzania charcoal consumption is growing ((5%)) much faster than fuelwood consumption (1%) and that urban consumers are more apt to adopt improved stoves but they consume less per capita (0.8 kg/day) than rural consumers (1.2 kg/day). We need to be aware that a wide variety of factors influence fuel choices so a carbon incentive might have a small impact. As long as we are aware that a biochar stoves programs, like Paul’s in India, may depend on a combination of economic and social circumstances we should be able to tailor local incentives to produce biochar for environmental and other benefits. 

Tom        

From: Stoves [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Nikhil Desai
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 3:55 PM
To: Philip Lloyd <plloyd at mweb.co.za>
Cc: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Subject: Re: [Stoves] [biochar] Where to discuss STOVES AND CARBON offsets and drawdown

Philip: 

Perhaps that is what Gold Standard sells -- lucrative "independent auditor" for verification and certification, in addition to its own brand? 

During a webinar, I asked Gold Standard the legal basis for their claim to be a certification and standards body. Not just anybody can make such a claim; there has to be an explicit grant of authority to a private entity. 

I was told I would get an answer by e-mail. 

No luck yet.

Nikhil 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nikhil Desai

(US +1) 202 568 5831
Skype: nikhildesai888

On Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 2:26 AM, plloyd at mweb.co.za <mailto:plloyd at mweb.co.za>  <plloyd at mweb.co.za <mailto:plloyd at mweb.co.za> > wrote:

Just a note of warning- carbon credits can be a chimera. We have a Gold Standard cc project that is sitting on $500 000 of credits because nearly all of that will go to pay an indepedent auditor to verify the credits. If the value of carbon moves up, there may be a case for claiming, but right now there is an Impasse.
Philip Lloyd

Sent from my Huawei Mobile

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Stoves] [biochar] Where to discuss STOVES AND CARBON offsets and drawdown
From: Paul Anderson 
To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves 
CC: 

Andrew,

Again you are correct about carbon credits.  But you are trying to 
UN-link stove carbon credits from the issues of climate change and 
Drawdown, about which we must also discuss these char-producing (and 
very clean burning) TLUD stoves.

The readers of the Stoves Listservs and the moderators (all very great 
people) have repeatedly rejected that the drawdown / climate change 
issues should be fully aired on this Stoves Listserv.

Please realize the difference.  Case 1:  Some charcoal  stoves (as in 
the Uga Stove in  Uganda that received great praise for being the first 
carbon credit / Gold Standard project for stoves) earn 1 or 1.5 carbon  
credits per year for using LESS charcoal, but that charcoal  is STILL 
produced very poorly via traditional char-making methods.     Case 2:  
The TLUD stoves (as in the ChampionTLUD in India) is earning 4 (as in 
FOUR) carbon credits per year for using LESS biomas (wood) fuel from 
sustainable sources AND YIELDING CHARCOAL that has economic value AND 
value for carbon credits (2 of those 4 carbon credits).

Simply bringing up this previous paragraph is pushing the limits of what 
is the purpose of the Stoves Listserv.   And if the purpose were to be 
expanded, we would lose some Stoves readers.  I am looking for where 
people are already discussing drawdown and climate change AND would 
welcome the stoves  contribution.

All comments are welcome.

Paul

Doc / Dr TLUD / Prof. Paul S. Anderson, PhD
Email: psanders at ilstu.edu <mailto:psanders at ilstu.edu> 
Skype: paultlud Phone: +1-309-452-7072 <tel:(309)%20452-7072> 
Website: www.drtlud.com <http://www.drtlud.com> 

On 9/10/2017 2:02 PM, Andrew Heggie wrote:

> On 10 September 2017 at 18:53, Paul Anderson wrote:
>> Andrew,
>>
>> You have stated (correctly) the precise reason that I do NOT want to conduct
>> the needed discussions on the Stoves Listserv.
>>
>> The needed discussion is regardless of whether the TLUD stoves are used for
>> making biochar or for sequestering char or for simply needing less wood for
>> the cooking tasks.
>
> I'm surprised at your reply Paul, I don't understand why you feel that
> my reason is precisely why you don't want to discuss carbon credits on
> here.
>
> Carbon credits exist just as much as other subsidies which are
> applicable to stoves.
>
> Andrew
>
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