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Ron,<br>
<br>
I have also corresponded quite extensively with Mr. Harry Stokes a
couple of years ago at about the time I was supporting Nathaniel
Mulcahy and his initial Stove project work in Haiti after the
earthquake.<br>
<br>
Harry had noted at the time that 3 billion liters of hydrous
ethanol are traded through the Caribbean from Brazil every year, yet
he had noted that there are a number of major ethanol producers in
Central America and the Caribbean who are constrained to
consistently under-produce because of the want of a market.<br>
<br>
He noted that "
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<i>If these countries
could produce and sell into a domestic stove fuel market, they
could again
produce for a market that would justify a robust agricultural
base.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With a healthy
agricultural sector and the application of best practices, they
could rebuild
their soils and croplands, which now lie fallow.</i>"<br>
(This was Harry's "Build Back Better" approach... as was being
promoted by Bill Clinton after the earthquake: a pathway to
sustainability for Haiti.)<br>
<br>
At the time I was also in conversation with Roger Samson of REAP
Canada, and I had suggested to Mr. Stokes that he might also wish to
consider using Agave was as the feedstock for producing liquid fuels
(ethanol etc), which, according to Arturo Velez, can produce 3X more
sugars than sugarcane, while thriving on drylands / "marginal land"
(it thrives with only 190mm of rain per year and can produce very
high yields with very low or no inputs) and could potentially
achieve massive production due to year-around harvesting and
World-wide geographical distribution (Drylands cover about 40% of
the Earth's surface; >60 million square Km, @ ~20% of US
territory and >75% of Mexico).<br>
[Harry had suggested Sweet sorghum instead since it is a dryland
crop that builds soil fertility very effectively. ~ I believe that
he was also working with the International Institute for Ecological
Agriculture (IIEA) and looking into other 'dryland' feedstocks such
as Giant Milkweed and Prosopis (mesquite).]<br>
<br>
While Harry was working with a core team of developers to raise
capital for a business that would essentially mass produce small,
efficient, simple but highly engineered "micro distilleries" (for
places like Haiti), I had noted that the leftover "bagasse" from
these distilleries could also be used to make Biochar.<br>
<br>
I had originally suggested that the enormous amounts of bagasse
that result from the production of sustainable alcohols from
drylands feedstocks could be processed in such a way as to produce
other liquid fuels (bio-oils) industrially (in systems such as those
produced by companies like Agritherm, ABRI Tech or Ensyn) -- such
that massive quantities of both bio-oil and Biochar could be
produced (and sequestered)... however, if CPB could also convert
this bagasse into another type of liquid fuel (the 'N100' that could
in turn be used in engines and other types of bio-liquid fuel
stoves), we could truly achieve very substantial "carbon
negativity".<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72"> Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist
Principal, Biochar Consulting (Canada)
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.biochar-consulting.ca">www.biochar-consulting.ca</a>
48 Suncrest Blvd, Thornhill, ON, Canada
905-707-8754
CELL: 647-886-8754
Skype: lloyd.helferty
Steering Committee coordinator
Canadian Biochar Initiative (CBI)
President, Co-founder & CBI Liaison, Biochar-Ontario
Partner of Toronto Urban Ag Summit! <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.urbanagsummit.org">www.urbanagsummit.org</a>
See also: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.facebook.com/UrbanAgSummit">http://www.facebook.com/UrbanAgSummit</a>
Manager, Biochar Offsets Group:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2446475">http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2446475</a>
Advisory Committee Member, IBI
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1404717">http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1404717</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42237506675">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42237506675</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://groups.google.com/group/biochar-ontario">http://groups.google.com/group/biochar-ontario</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.meetup.com/biocharontario/">http://www.meetup.com/biocharontario/</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.biocharontario.ca">http://www.biocharontario.ca</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.biochar.ca">www.biochar.ca</a>
"The history of every nation is eventually written in the way it cares for its soil."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt</pre>
<br>
On 2012-08-10 5:24 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:rongretlarson@comcast.net">rongretlarson@comcast.net</a> wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:1800253542.220832.1344633871423.JavaMail.root@sz0133a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net"
type="cite">
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<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color:
#000000">List: <br>
<br>
1. A short time ago, I sent in a brief announcement
(below) about Harry Stokes. Without committing him, I
think he supports the following as a new way to obtain and
promote this list's emphasis: improved biomass stoves for
developing countries.<br>
<br>
2. The following idea naturally follows from last
week's successful Biochar conference in Sonoma. This
conference has been discussed some on the sister Biochar
lists, but not here, although there were several persons
presenting there on stoves. Presumably most stoves list
members interested in Biochar already know all about that
other list - but for others, I recommend a look at this
site (save it - it doesn't pop up in Google searches)<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://2012.biochar.us.com/299/2012-us-biochar-conference-presentations">http://2012.biochar.us.com/299/2012-us-biochar-conference-presentations</a><br>
<br>
3. For many at the conference, I think the most
important new Biochar material related to a new company,
that had not presented previously at Biochar meetings
(probably because they are better known as a biofuels
company). But they advertise a fuel they call N100 - which
means 100 Percent as much carbon negativity as carbon
neutrality. I think the main buzz was because they are
well funded by some very big players. This and a bit more (I
recommend the 14 minute video by corporate founder Mike
Cheiky) on the company (shorthand CPB) are at:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.coolplanetbiofuels.com">www.coolplanetbiofuels.com</a><br>
<br>
4. There was no discussion at the Sonoma meeting nor
is there any discussion at the CPB web site of using their
biofuel product for our list interest: rural biomass
cookstoves. Emphasizing their bioliquids also for stoves
could be a big winner - along the lines of what Harry Stokes
has been doing. The big difference from Stokes' work is
that char and carbon negativity automatically follow with
use of the CPB fuels - not possible with any other
bioliquidfuel I am aware of. I emphasize "automatic" -
the char is a left-over but can contain half the initial
carbon (30% char by weight is being stated). Surprisingly,
there is very little release of CO2 during production, and
some or much is exothermic.<br>
<br>
5. The CPB website gives plenty of reasons they can be
successful - but none related to stoves. My reasons for
thinking that their's could be a successful approach for
stove use are:<br>
a. The CPB biofuel is already being planned to be
produced in developing countries. Rather than importing
fossil kerosene, LPG, propane, etc with inevitably rising
prices - the CPB fuels will be least cost at the point of
manufacture, near to the stove users. Maybe even able to
use a biofuel for cooking that is slightly substandard for
engines.<br>
b. Char-making stoves have many positive attributes
(that I have been promoting for 17 + years), but a
bioliquids fuel approach can probably always be cleaner,
more adjustable (turn-down ratio), be adaptable to multiple
pots and will not be batch-limited. <br>
c. Char-making stoves will hopefully soon be eligible
for carbon credits, but dealing with small single family or
even village scale auditing violates all we know about
existing credit hurdles. A large entity (CPB or someone
they sell equipment to) will already be well equipped to
work for carbon neutral credits; adding carbon negative
credits from their co-product Biochar will be easier than
for any other industry group I can think of.<br>
d. Cooks in developing countries are already choosing
liquid fuel stoves - when they can be afforded. There are
existing supply chains for fuel and stoves. LPG fuels are
already in short supply.<br>
e. I think it possible for the barter system that Nat
Mulcahy (WorldStoves) has developed to also work here. A
wood gatherer can exchange the raw materials for a bioliquid
- and (a guess?) do less wood gathering than at present.
This time savings will be complemented by time savings while
cooking with a liquid fuel. And health issues. The same
firm supplying the CPB carbon-negative biofuel can also
supply a (hopefully) low cost (and probably pre-primed)
Biochar with the same barter exchange of ag wastes, etc.<br>
f. Char-making stoves work best in a rural
environment. But the majority of potential users of any
future carbon negative biofuel are now living in cities -
where the price competition for a carbon negative form of
cooking is easiest<br>
g. Lastly and most important to me - I have argued
strongly on this list for a total prohibition of
charcoal-using stoves because they are so wasteful. This
approach could help in policing the presently largely
illegal production of char. Since CPB will be precharging
their char for ag purposes, it would be incredibly stupid to
burn that char. Char for ag use is likely to look more
different as well as just being too small for cooking.<br>
<br>
6. What should be the impact of the above on other stove
types discussed on this list?<br>
a. I think this biofuels approach might help as a
backup for solar cookers. Biomass supply will always be
insufficient if we get serious about excess atmospheric
carbon - so a combined solar-liquids approach could be a
least cost approach.<br>
b. Of course, I hope a biofuel stove kills all use of
fossil fuels for cooking or heating - because of my
perceived need to get quickly to 350 ppm. My hope would be
that coal use in Ulan Bataa, for instance, might prove to be
more expensive than the use of wood from northern Mongolia,
since the biofuel being moved is so energy dense, easily
stored, cleaner, etc.<br>
The use of existing propane, natural gas, kerosene, etc
stoves will be killed only if the CPB fuels are cheaper -
and this seems likely eventually if not right now (according
to the CPB website).<br>
c. I think liquid-fueled stoves are likely to prove
much better in all regards to all present wood-burning
(including Rocket stoves) re cost, air quality, efficiency,
etc, if the assumptions above hold (on time spent looking
for fuel, etc). This needs more analysis.<br>
d. Cooking using methane from biodigesters might be a
close call. Those stoves are not generating the char that I
find so important, but putting char in digesters for
"conditioning" seems very promising. The main difference
could be in the perception of the time being used each way.<br>
e. As to char-making stoves, the improvement is not so
obvious for rural cooks having plenty of wood, time, and
need for char. Regardless, it is better to have multiple
options and there will be many countries or parts of
countries, that wouldn't see internal generation of a carbon
negative biofuel for a long time. A huge market therefore
remains for char-making stoves. And something may not be
correct in this initial review of what looks like a
promising addition to our list topic - cooking with biomass.<br>
<br>
7. So this is to request your reaction to pushing this
different way to promote Biochar production and use in
family cooking in developing countries. I will forward
your thoughts to CPB. There could be companies formed
around this idea and I hope there are. I won't be doing so.
For me, the basic question is whether more Biochar might
be put in the ground if cooking were done with liquids made
from biomass, rather than cooking with that same biomass in
any other type of stove. <br>
<br>
Ron<br>
<br>
<hr id="zwchr"><b>From: </b><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:rongretlarson@comcast.net">rongretlarson@comcast.net</a><br>
<b>To: </b>"Discussion of biomass"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org"><stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org></a><br>
<b>Cc: </b><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:hstokes@projectgaia.com">hstokes@projectgaia.com</a><br>
<b>Sent: </b>Friday, August 10, 2012 12:26:24 PM<br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Stoves] Award for Harry Stokes<br>
<br>
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<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color:
#000000">List:<br>
<br>
For a different reason that I will write on soon, I was
searching some (excellent) stove material on Harry's web
site, and found notice of his winning a prestigious
bioenergy 2012 award. See<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.projectgaia.com/blog/2012/06/06/pgi-executive-director-harry-stokes-selected-as-2012-world-bioenergy-award-winner/">http://www.projectgaia.com/blog/2012/06/06/pgi-executive-director-harry-stokes-selected-as-2012-world-bioenergy-award-winner/</a><br>
<br>
I first met Harry at the (first in 2000?) stove
conference in Pune, India. Harry's specialty - almost
alone - is in pushing liquid fuels (mostly ethanol and
methanol) for cooking in developing countries. He is, of
course, emphasizing those fuels from biomass rather than
fossil sources. Look at his web site for some of the
projects now underway.<br>
<br>
Congratulations to a well-deserving winner. <br>
<br>
Ron<br>
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