[Stoves] ***SPAM*** Cooking with crop waste (less smoke and makes biochar) and burning crop waste in the field (less smoke and makes biochar) - New training video

[Ronal Larson]

Hi 3 lists:  cc Kevin

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> On Oct 8, 2021, at 12:12 PM, K McLean <kmclean56 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Here is a new training video that we have started disseminating in Africa:  https://youtu.be/DmzQFCp2kNI <https://youtu.be/DmzQFCp2kNI>
> 
> It shows how to cook using crop waste as fuel while making biochar using the new AgWa (Agriculture Waste) cookstove.  Dig a 25x25x25 cm hole in the middle of a three-stone cookstove.  Cut maize stalks and layer them in the hole with each layer facing a different direction (criss crossed layers).  The pile should continue above ground about 10 cm.  Light the pile on the top.  It will slowly burn down to the bottom.
> 
> The fire burns hot and clean without tending for 30-45 minutes.  If the embers are quenched with a little water, biochar is made.  The advantages of this method over the traditional use of wood are many:
>      1. Less firewood collection.  Women and children spend many hours a week collecting firewood, wasting time and subjecting themselves to assault and animal attacks.  This allows them to collect their fuel from their farms.
>      2. Less deforestation.
>      3. Less time tending the fire.  Open fire cooking with wood requires almost constant tending.  This batch-fed method can be lit and ignored so women can attend to other matters.  Importantly, they and their children can get away from a smokey fire.
>      4. Less climate damage.  Crop waste is renewable.  Less smoke probably means less black carbon.  And many farmers burn their crop waste in the field in ways that are very smokey.  If they use the biochar as a soil amendment, they will sequester carbon.
>      5. Less indoor and outdoor air pollution.
>      6. Improved crop production.
> 
> The training video also demonstrates how to burn crop waste in the field in a cleaner way that makes biochar.  Many farmers burn their crop waste by making large piles and lighting the piles on the side.  The crop waste is allowed to burn to ash in a cloud of smoke.  By lighting the piles on top, the fire is much cleaner.  And if the embers are quenched (dirt or water), biochar is made.
> 
> The training video then demonstrates how to charge biochar with human urine and apply it in the field.
> 
> We left out rice straw because we have not been able to fully test it.  Our tests are consistent that the top-down burn method in the field works with rice straw.  I am less sure about rice straw in the AgWa cookstove.
> 
> I hope some of you can test these methods since crop waste is available now in much of the world.

[RWL:   My name as a cc is because I have following Kevin’s inventions for several years now and of course believe this very important.  Important for Kevin's 6 reasons above and more.  I would emphasize the economic side - the payback is measured in days.  Applicable globally everywhere that cooking is now on 3-stones (or grates or bricks, etc).. Not likely to be a competitor to existing charcoal-making stoves - as they are generally, for cost reasons, not now competing with 3-stones.

	Kevin’s “AgWa” approach needs analysis as well as wider introduction and testing.  It is a great surprise to me that darn good char in surprisingly large amounts is being produced - both below a cook-pot and in the field. Our usual concern about radiative losses, falling embers, early combustion of the char, etc are not appearing to be serious.   For all three lists (stoves, biochar, and CDR), this could be a major game changer - as so many barriers to char-making are removed by the approaches seen in this video.  It is hard to believe this won’t quickly change a lot of traditional practices - and probably much like the recent rapid introduction of solar panels and cell phones - by word of mouth.  Their value is affordable by the poorest;   in this case,  cost is not a issue.  What might be?

	This would be a great time to identify and solve any overlooked problems.   Kevin has only so far shown attractiveness in a few African countries.  The more exacting tests needed now are best helped almost certainly by the several thousand members of these three lists.  Other lists should interested for different reasons; this should be going also to lists for food, health, gender equity, etc - almost all of the 17 SDG's.   So please pass this on to others who you know will be otherwise unaware soon.

Thoughts?  (So far only seen one response on the biochar list - positive) .  Don’t worry if you only received one copy from one list and can’t get back to all three (or more).  Kevin and I will be sure that new ideas  improvements nd extensions are widely circulated.

Ron


> 
> Kevin McLean
> Sun24
> kevin at sun24.org <mailto:kevin at sun24.org>
> +1 813 505 3340
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