ETHOS-2017 TALK

TWO (**) BOOKEND STOVE TOPICS

1. NEW (?) CHAR-MAKING STOVE POSSIBILITIES

2. CURRENT “GEO” STATUS OF BIOCHAR

RON LARSON, GOLDEN COLORADO SEATTLE, JANUARY 27, 2017

** - ADDED:1 minute on NEW Water Boiling Test (WBT) Controversy - on “STOVES”

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TOPIC #1 - NEW (?) CHARCOAL-MAKING STOVE IDEAS

2-3 MINUTES

1.A - CAN/SHOULD THE COOKPOT ITSELF BE THE POWER/AIRFLOW CONTROLLER?

1.B - CAN/SHOULD WE CONTROL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AIR TOGETHER?

1.C CAN/SHOULD WE COMPLETE COMBUSTION BEFORE GASES REACH THE COOK POT?

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(6-7 MINUTES)

2.A - IS CDR (CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL) IMPORTANT?

2.B - CAN BIOCHAR PLAY A SMALL OR LARGE PART?

2.C - HOW IMPORTANT IS BIOCHAR FROM STOVES?

TOPIC #2 - CHARCOAL-MAKING STOVES AND CDR

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TOPIC #3 - CHARCOAL-MAKING STOVES AND THE WBT1-2 MINUTES (4 SLIDES, IF STILL POSSIBLE)

3.A - WHY IS THE WBT = WATER BOILING TEST IMPORTANT?

3.B - WHAT ARE CLAIMS AGAINST THE WBT?

3.C WHY IS CHAR IMPORTANT IN THE WBT?

(4 SLIDES )

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1.A - CAN THE COOKPOT ITSELF BE THE POWER (AIRFLOW) CONTROLLER?

1.B - CAN WE CONTROL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AIR TOGETHER?

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1.C CAN WE COMPLETE COMBUSTION BEFORE GASES REACH THE COOK POT?

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STATUS: CUTTING A #10 CAN IS NOT SIMPLE!

LEANING NOW TO BUYING A “NIBBLER”

I’M SEEKING GUIDANCE - FOR

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

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TOPIC #1 SUMMARY - CHARCOAL-MAKING SUSPICIONS

1 - THE COOKPOT CAN BE THE ONLY AIRFLOW CONTROLLER - WITH HEAT TRANSFER BENEFITS - BUT HOPE WE CAN AVOID WEDGES.

2 - WE CAN CONTROL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AIR TOGETHER - AGAIN FOR EFFICIENCY REASONS -BUT WE NEED MODELING SUPPORT.

3. WE PROBABLY CAN COMPLETE COMBUSTION BEFORE GASES EXIT THE STOVE - BUT MAY NEED A FAN.

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BACKGROUND —WHY AM I DISCUSSING CDR TODAY?

THE BIOCHAR LIST GREW OUT OF THE STOVE LIST I’M ACTIVE IN BOTH IBI AND USBI GROUPS

MAINLY ACTIVE ON “GEO” LIST

QUESTION #2A

IS CDR (CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL) IMPORTANT?

(TWO SLIDES)

TOPIC #2 - CDR = CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL

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MY ANSWER: LARGE - POLITICALLY, BECAUSE OF CHINA

China’s Xi Jinping defended the Paris Agreement in Davos last week

China is first in solar and wind- also in stoves - also in urban pollution.

Probably already first in biochar. They have a large % of the IBI publications. China has money and a fast turnaround capability.

Likely Anti-Trump - on climate issues.

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QUESTION #2 B. WILL BIOCHAR PLAY A SMALL OR LARGE PART?

HOW MUCH BIOCHAR?

OF RE TYPES (WIND, SOLAR, ETC), ONLY BIOMASS (MORE THAN BIOCHAR) CAN DO CDR

THE AMOUNT IS DISPUTED

I HAVE BEEN PROJECTING ABOUT 5 GT C/YR

1 GT C/YR FROM STOVES

THE MOST QUOTED SOURCE SAYS 1 GT C/YR TOTAL

ALSO CONTROVERSIAL - THE TOTAL

OFTEN HEAR 150 GT C14

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MAIN LIMITATION CONCERNS:

THE LAND AREA AVAILABLE IS CONTROVERSIAL

OUT OF 11 GHA, MAYBE 4-5 ARE AVAILABLE

3 GHA OF PASTURE LAND LOOKS PROMISING - IF CATTLE RELEASE OF ENTERIC METHANE BECOMES OF MORE CONCERN

FEEDSTOCK TYPES NOT A CONCERN - BUT THERE IS COMPETITION WITH COMPOST

BEGINNING TO HEAR MORE ABOUT “BLUE BIOCHAR”; 1% OF OCEAN MIGHT BE ENOUGH

MAIN COMPETITION: BECCS = BIOMASS ENERGY WITH CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION

THE MAJOR APPROACH IN ALL IPCC DOCUMENTS. IN FACT — NO IPCC MODELS WITH BIOCHAR

BUT BIOCHAR MAY HAVE CAUGHT UP: BIG ADVANCE WITH FRENCH 4P1000 (SOILS) AND SEVERAL VERY RECENT WHITE HOUSE DOCS ON SOIL CARBON

BIOCHAR SHOULD BE POPULAR WITH RED STATES

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Earth’s Future Indicators and metrics for the assessment of climate engineering A. Oschlies1, H. Held2, D. Keller1, K. Keller3,4, N. Mengis1, M. Quaas5, W. Rickels6, and H. Schmidt7

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“CE” = “GEO” TYPICAL POOR TREATMENT OF

BIOCHAR

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1. MY FAVORITE SITE FOR GEO TOPICS

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1. - SHOWN BECAUSE BIOMASS IS IN CONFLICT WITH COAL - AND DAN KAMMEN KNOWS STOVES

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1. INCLUDED BECAUSE I DON’T SEE BIOCHAR IN THIS AREA - AND THIS IS VERY NEW

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2-C. HOW IMPORTANT IS BIOCHAR FROM STOVES?

VERY - RURAL STOVE USERS HAVE THE MOST TO GAIN- BEING THE MOST IN NEED OF INCOME AND BETTER FARM OUTPUT.

BUT CONVERSELY, MAYBE THE BIOCHAR WILL COME FIRST FROM LARGER SCALE BIOFUELS - THAT ARE USED FOR COOKING.

THIS IS A SOCIAL SCIENCE TOPIC (ISO GROUP 4)

FIRST AND LAST SLIDE FOR Q2 -

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TOPIC #3 - WBT = WATER BOILING TEST

3-A. - WHY IS THE WBT IMPORTANT? (SEE ISSUES RAISED ON 24 JAN “STOVES” LIST)

ANS TO IMPROVE BOTH ANY SPECIFIC STOVE AND ALL STOVES

FOR SALES PROMOTIONS

MEET REQUIREMENTS

BEST PUBLISHED RESPONSE? - 4 CITES FROM JIM JETTER GIVEN THIS PAST WEEK

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TOPIC #3 - WBT = WATER BOILING TEST

3B. STATED OBJECTIONS

1. - NOT SUFFICIENTLY REPRODUCIBLE.

2. - CHAR NOT HANDLED CORRECTLY

3. - NUMEROUS PEOPLE NOW SAYING WE SHOULD DROP THE BWT TOTALLY (NOT JUST ON THE CHAR EQUATION.)

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3.C. - WHY IS CHAR IMPORTANT IN THE WBT?

THIS ALL RELATES TO SOMETHING I CALL THE “DENOMINATOR EQUATION”:

Etot = E1 / (1-E2)

THIS EQUATION HAS BEEN USED FOR DECADES - , MAINLY ONE PERSON OBJECTS - SAYING IT GIVES TOO MUCH CREDIT TO THE E2 (CHAR) TERM.

A FEW PREFER Etot=E1

I THINK THIS EQUATION GIVES TOO LITTLE CREDIT; I PREFER E1+E2, BUT Etot IS OK for ISO TIERS

EXAMPLE: BOILING, CHAR, INEFFICIENCIES ALL = 1/3 THE STATED EFFICIENCIES CAN BE 1/3, 1/2, 2/325 25

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TOPIC #3 - WBT = WATER BOILING TEST

RWL CONCLUSIONS -

A. THERE IS A MAJOR LACK OF DETAIL FROM DETRACTORS -

WHAT ARE THEIR REAL REASONS?

B. WBT EXPERTS NEED HELP FROM STOVE MEMBERS - AND ETHOS ATTENDEES.

(LAST SLIDE - THANKS)

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EXTRA DELETED SLIDES NEXT

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Feedstock- Disagreements on what is best. But almost anything that can be used in a stove can be used for biochar.

Plus growing emphasis on “blue biochar”.

nice work on “soil age” by Tom Goreau most there are still talking about more cattle - ignoring enteric methane.

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THERE IS STRONG DISAGREEMENT ON THE OPTIMUM RATIO OF COMPOST TO BIOCHAR.

THIS CAN BE IMPORTANT FOR STOVE COMMUNITY, WHICH ALSO IS FARMING.

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Feedstock- Disagreements on what is best. But almost anything that can be used in a stove can be used for biochar.

Plus growing emphasis on “blue biochar”.

nice work on “soil age” by Tom Goreau most there are still talking about more cattle - ignoring enteric methane.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/16486897.2016.123958

- PANEL SUMMARY, 5 AREAS, TOP R&D CONCERNS:

− Functional redundancy of soil biota, and bioavailability of contaminants present in biochar.

− SOM stability and N2O emission reduction.

− Soil formation, the hydrological cycle and soil water supply to plants

− Priming of SOM and modifications of the rhinosphere microbiome. − Plant uptake of pollutants and soil pH buffering capacity.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/16486897.2016.123958

- PANEL SUMMARY, 5 AREAS, TOP R&D CONCERNS:

− Functional redundancy of soil biota, and bioavailability of contaminants present in biochar.

− SOM stability and N2O emission reduction.

− Soil formation, the hydrological cycle and soil water supply to plants

− Priming of SOM and modifications of the rhinosphere microbiome. − Plant uptake of pollutants and soil pH buffering capacity.