[Loki]

Now on the original solar concentrating system again I followed the link
and saw the contraption and it is very high tech looking.

Holy crap

[Graeme]

Making a composting toilet in a wheelie bin sounds easier and a pretty effective way to capture previously lost nutrients to be put back into your soil.
http://milkwood.net/2011/04/18/compost- ... -the-bins/

Yup. You can make a compost toilet out of a bucket and a barrel or two (or just a hole in the ground). Probably costs an order of magnitude less. Compost is used by farmers around the world, has been for generations. Biochar? Not so much.

The OP's high tech shitter seems to be designed to sell poor people in the third world something they can't afford, almost certainly with a well-paid "non-profit" middle man or three in the first world. Not surprising Gates would fund something like this.

Loki, You're right.

While the current toilet has been created to serve four to six people a day, a larger facility that could serve several households simultaneously is under design with the target of meeting a cost level of five cents a day per user set by the Gates Foundation. “We are continuously looking for ways to improve the efficiency and lower costs,” he said.

indianexpress

[Shaved Monkey]

Dont know if that would be welcomed in all third world areas some actually have uses for their waste products beyond bio char and even compost.

When I was taken on a tour of the slums of Bombay a few years ago they were defecating on the concrete side walk in broad day light plain view.
There was quite a large collection in quite small area.
I saw it with my own eyes.
I assume they were drying it in the sun and using it to tan the leather they then made into high end goods they sold to retailers in the west.
There was a massive leather goods industry going on in the back yards and alleyways.
People earning a pittance and finding clever/traditional ways of recycling and cutting the chemical industry out of the equation and maximising their profits.


Tanning

Next, the tanner needed to remove the hair fibers from the skin. This was done by either soaking the skin in urine....
Once the hair was removed, the tanners would bate the material by pounding dung into the skin or soaking the skin in a solution of animal brains.
Children employed as dung gatherers were a common sight in ancient cities. Also common were "piss-pots" located on street corners, where human urine could be collected for use in tanneries

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning

[Quinny]

This was my point with the worm. I don't get biochar, to be fair I haven't tried to. What does it 'give' us over compost? Is there a one page summary that can be trusted anywhere?

Making a composting toilet in a wheelie bin sounds easier and a pretty effective way to capture previously lost nutrients to be put back into your soil.
http://milkwood.net/2011/04/18/compost- ... -the-bins/

Yup. You can make a compost toilet out of a bucket and a barrel or two (or just a hole in the ground). Probably costs an order of magnitude less. Compost is used by farmers around the world, has been for generations. Biochar? Not so much.

The OP's high tech shitter seems to be designed to sell poor people in the third world something they can't afford, almost certainly with a well-paid "non-profit" middle man or three in the first world. Not surprising Gates would fund something like this.

[davep]

I think the main supposed benefit of biochar over compost is that the carbon is sequestered for millennia in an inert form.

As others have suggested, the overall nutritional benefits of compost are far higher and it can be had using appropriate technology. It's no coincidence that the various studies lauding the benefits of biochar never test it against compost.

[Tanada]

I think the main supposed benefit of biochar over compost is that the carbon is sequestered for millennia in an inert form.

As others have suggested, the overall nutritional benefits of compost are far higher and it can be had using appropriate technology. It's no coincidence that the various studies lauding the benefits of biochar never test it against compost.

That isn't entirely accurate, the best results achieved in the studies I have looked at use a blend of Biochar and Compost to get the best results. Biochar acts as a sponge, it retains both water and nutrients that the plant rootlets can access. Compost acts as a fertility booster for the soil by adding organic carbon and nutrients. When you combine the properties of the two you get nutrients, organic carbon, and long duration release.

[davep]

I think the main supposed benefit of biochar over compost is that the carbon is sequestered for millennia in an inert form.

As others have suggested, the overall nutritional benefits of compost are far higher and it can be had using appropriate technology. It's no coincidence that the various studies lauding the benefits of biochar never test it against compost.

That isn't entirely accurate, the best results achieved in the studies I have looked at use a blend of Biochar and Compost to get the best results. Biochar acts as a sponge, it retains both water and nutrients that the plant rootlets can access. Compost acts as a fertility booster for the soil by adding organic carbon and nutrients. When you combine the properties of the two you get nutrients, organic carbon, and long duration release.

Interesting. A while back I looked into some biochar studies and they didn't use compost as one of the tests. Do you have any more info on this test?

[Tanada]

I think the main supposed benefit of biochar over compost is that the carbon is sequestered for millennia in an inert form.

As others have suggested, the overall nutritional benefits of compost are far higher and it can be had using appropriate technology. It's no coincidence that the various studies lauding the benefits of biochar never test it against compost.

That isn't entirely accurate, the best results achieved in the studies I have looked at use a blend of Biochar and Compost to get the best results. Biochar acts as a sponge, it retains both water and nutrients that the plant rootlets can access. Compost acts as a fertility booster for the soil by adding organic carbon and nutrients. When you combine the properties of the two you get nutrients, organic carbon, and long duration release.

Interesting. A while back I looked into some biochar studies and they didn't use compost as one of the tests. Do you have any more info on this test?

I belong to three Biochar groups on Yahoo Groups and have read many studies mentioned on the groups over the last 5 years, just surf through the threads https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/biochar-soils/info on that group and you will find studies on both support and refutation of the efficacy of char in soil. I had several of them stored on my computer but have since lost two hard drives so I would have to dig through the threads myself to find them again.

[davep]

I think the main supposed benefit of biochar over compost is that the carbon is sequestered for millennia in an inert form.

As others have suggested, the overall nutritional benefits of compost are far higher and it can be had using appropriate technology. It's no coincidence that the various studies lauding the benefits of biochar never test it against compost.

That isn't entirely accurate, the best results achieved in the studies I have looked at use a blend of Biochar and Compost to get the best results. Biochar acts as a sponge, it retains both water and nutrients that the plant rootlets can access. Compost acts as a fertility booster for the soil by adding organic carbon and nutrients. When you combine the properties of the two you get nutrients, organic carbon, and long duration release.

Interesting. A while back I looked into some biochar studies and they didn't use compost as one of the tests. Do you have any more info on this test?

I belong to three Biochar groups on Yahoo Groups and have read many studies mentioned on the groups over the last 5 years, just surf through the threads https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/biochar-soils/info on that group and you will find studies on both support and refutation of the efficacy of char in soil. I had several of them stored on my computer but have since lost two hard drives so I would have to dig through the threads myself to find them again.

Cool, thanks. I'm specifically looking for biochar and compost comparisons, so I'll have a dig about (once my membership is accepted). It's been a few years since I've looked into it.

[efarmer]

http://www.handprintpress.com/authors/t ... -solution/

I liked this review of Albert Bates' book.

We all would love to have magic bullets for global problems and sometimes
not being one, allows viable technology to be dismissed as not being useful.

We would like one magic blanket to throw over a major problem but we
often end up with a quilt, with many holes left to plug somehow going
forward, which beats doing nothing at all.

[efarmer]

Okay Pstarr, I think I have it now.

"Waterless concentrating Forum turns biochar into waste."

I am going to stop before I burn my browser.

[Graeme]

T, Great to see that you have had an interest in biochar for some time. Hope you can contribute more here. If nothing else, this gadget will raise the profile of biochar in India. It will be up to the Indians to decide whether to use this tech or their own version of it, or even a different way to make and introduce biochar/biomass into Indian soils. We've had other biochar experts contribute their knowledge in the past in different threads. There is a vast literature on this subject. I found two which appear to summarize the present state of knowledge.

Interactions between biochar stability and soil organisms: review and research needs

The stability of biochar in soils is the cornerstone of the burgeoning worldwide interest in the potential of the pyrolysis/biochar platform for carbon (C) sequestration. While biochar is more recalcitrant in soil than the original organic feedstock, an increasing number of studies report greater C-mineralization in soils amended with biochar than in unamended soils. Soil organisms are believed to play a central role in this process. In this review, the variety of interactions that occur between soil micro-, meso- and macroorganisms and biochar stability are assessed. In addition, different factors reported to influence biochar stability, such as biochar physico-chemical characteristics, soil type, soil organic carbon (SOC) content and agricultural management practices are evaluated. A meta-analysis of data in the literature revealed that biochar-C mineralization rates decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature, biochar-C content and time. Enhanced release of CO2 after biochar addition to soil may result from (i) priming of native SOC pools, (ii) biodegradation of biochar components from direct or indirect stimulation of soil organisms by biochar or (iii) abiotic release of biochar-C (from carbonates or chemi-sorbed CO2). Observed biphasic mineralization rates suggest rapid mineralization of labile biochar compounds by microorganisms, with stable aromatic components decomposed at a slower rate. Comparatively little information is available on the impact of soil fauna on biochar stability in soil, although they may decrease biochar particle size and enhance its dispersion in the soil. Elucidating the impacts of soil fauna directly and indirectly on biochar stability is a top research priority.

wiley

A Systematic Review of Biochar Research, with a Focus on Its Stability in situ and Its Promise as a Climate Mitigation Strategy

Abstract

Background

Claims about the environmental benefits of charring biomass and applying the resulting “biochar” to soil are impressive. If true, they could influence land management worldwide. Alleged benefits include increased crop yields, soil fertility, and water-holding capacity; the most widely discussed idea is that applying biochar to soil will mitigate climate change. This claim rests on the assumption that biochar persists for hundreds or thousands of years, thus storing carbon that would otherwise decompose. We conducted a systematic review to quantify research effort directed toward ten aspects of biochar and closely evaluated the literature concerning biochar's stability.

Findings

We identified 311 peer-reviewed research articles published through 2011. We found very few field studies that addressed biochar's influence on several ecosystem processes: one on soil nutrient loss, one on soil contaminants, six concerning non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes (some of which fail to support claims that biochar decreases non-CO2 GHG fluxes), and 16–19 on plants and soil properties. Of 74 studies related to biochar stability, transport or fate in soil, only seven estimated biochar decomposition rates in situ, with mean residence times ranging from 8 to almost 4,000 years.

Conclusions

Our review shows there are not enough data to draw conclusions about how biochar production and application affect whole-system GHG budgets. Wide-ranging estimates of a key variable, biochar stability in situ, likely result from diverse environmental conditions, feedstocks, and study designs. There are even fewer data about the extent to which biochar stimulates decomposition of soil organic matter or affects non-CO2 GHG emissions. Identifying conditions where biochar amendments yield favorable GHG budgets requires a systematic field research program. Finally, evaluating biochar's suitability as a climate mitigation strategy requires comparing its effects with alternative uses of biomass and considering GHG budgets over both long and short time scales.




Conclusions

The study of biochar behavior in soil is a very young field, as reflected in diverse, non-standardized terminology and methods, and uneven distribution of studies across topic areas.

We need a systematic field research program that investigates stability of biochars representing a range of feedstocks and production methods, across climate and soil gradients.

We lack the field studies that are needed to understand with confidence how biochar production and application affects whole-system GHG balance. Key variables include, for example, emissions associated with biochar production, transportation, and application to soils; the extent to which biochar amendment stimulates (“primes”) decomposition of soil organic matter; the influence of biochar on non-CO2 trace gas emissions; and the amount of energy captured during biochar production.

The promise and limitations of biochar production and amendment to field soil should be evaluated against a range of biomass management options, including burning biomass for energy and leaving dead wood in place.

Even with limited available data, it is evident that potential long-term benefits of biochar-based carbon sequestration come at a cost of short-term CO2 pulses into the atmosphere and, consequently, near-term acceleration of climate change.

Optimistic claims about biochar's benefits to the environment contrast sharply with the limited amount of research on biochar's behavior and effects. There is insufficient empirical evidence to support assertions that biochar amendment to soil mitigates climate change significantly, or that it provides overall environmental benefits when evaluated across a comprehensive set of metrics.

plosone

[Shaved Monkey]

Pretty good info here
Ive been trying to make it for years and will continue to do so,
Charcoal in the compost, pee on it and then run it through your garden beds.

Terra preta owes its name to its very high charcoal content, and was made by adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, and manure to the otherwise relatively infertile Amazonian soil.
It is very stable and remains in the soil for thousands of years
It also shows high levels of microorganic activities and other specific characteristics within its particular ecosystem.
It is less prone to nutrient leaching, which is a major problem in most rain forests.
Terra preta soils are of pre-Columbian nature and were created by humans between 450 BC and AD 950.
The soil's depth can reach 2 meters (6.6 ft). Thousands of years after its creation it has been reported to regenerate itself at the rate of 1 centimetre (0.39 in) per year.
Terra preta's capacity to increase its own volume—thus to sequester more carbon—was first documented by pedologist William I. Woods of the University of Kansas.
This remains the central mystery of terra preta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta

[Tanada]

At odds with human biology. Our movements are not scheduled by the sun, rather by homeostatic pressures deep within. How does one ostentate oneself in the communal dining room when the seasons preclude it? With knees crossed? Or during the midnight hour when amorous intentions should hold rein over the lower regions? Who maintains the solar collector after an evening at the Taco Bar?

As for biochar; “Burning anything at all seems an unlikely cure for an overheating planet. No matter how it is done, or what is burned”. A fine review in Earth Island Journal; Biochar: Black Gold or Just Another Snake Oil Scheme?

Completely illogical. Composted night soil releases 100% of its carbon as CO2 in well under a decade, bio-char on the other hand sequesters 50% of its carbon mass in the soil for millennial time scales. For every pound of bio-char substituted for fresh compost you are saving 50% of the CO2 release over very short time scales.

[Graeme]

I disagree. Firstly, human waste disposal in India is primarily a problem of sanitation.

India is by far the worst culprit, with more than 640 million people defecating in the open and producing a stunning 72,000 tons of human waste each day -- the equivalent weight of almost 10 Eiffel Towers or 1,800 humpback whales.

Pooping in public is so acceptable that many Indians will do it on sidewalks or in open fields. Gaze out the window of any Indian train and face a line of bare bottoms doing their business on the tracks. Meanwhile, diarrheal diseases kill 700,000 children every year, most of which could have been prevented with better sanitation.



"There is a stigma. The lowest of the low are the ones who clean the toilets," Baby said. Eram's solution is a coin-operated eToilet with an electronic system that triggers an automated, self-cleaning mechanism. With 450 prototypes now looped into sewage systems across India, electrical engineers are lining up for jobs as toilet technicians. "Now, they're proud of their jobs."

Secondly, I think you need to go to a better source like the International Biochar Initiative. They clearly state that biochar is good for all soils and can also sequester carbon.
Just click on panel down left-hand side for biochar in soils and biochar carbon offset.

Biochar enhances soils. By converting agricultural waste into a powerful soil enhancer that holds carbon and makes soils more fertile, we can boost food security, discourage deforestation and preserve cropland diversity. Research is now confirming benefits that include:

Reduced leaching of nitrogen into ground water
Possible reduced emissions of nitrous oxide
Increased cation-exchange capacity resulting in improved soil fertility
Moderating of soil acidity
Increased water retention
Increased number of beneficial soil microbes
Biochar can improve almost any soil. Areas with low rainfall or nutrient-poor soils will most likely see the largest impact from addition of biochar.

Biochar Carbon Stability Test Method: An assessment of methods to determine biochar carbon stability

Twenty seven methods currently used to characterize biochar were assessed in terms of their usefulness to determine the stability of biochar carbon in the environment. The International Biochar Initiative (IBI), which led the effort, gathered fourteen world-class experts in different fields of biochar relevant to stability, who guided the process for obtaining a simple, yet reliable, measure for biochar stability. Important requisites were defined for the test, including cost, repeatability and availability. Identification of a cost-effective, scientifically valid test to measure the stable carbon component of biochar is imperative to distinguish biochar from non-biochar (non-stable) materials, and to develop a biochar offset protocol for carbon markets. The stability of biochar carbon in soils makes it a highly promising product for consideration as a strategy for climate change mitigation. The definition of the variable BC+100, which stands for the amount of biochar carbon that is expected to remain stable after 100 years, along with predictions of stability based on simple (Alpha) and more sophisticated (Beta) methods, allowed to correlate a molar ratio (H/Corg) to the relative stability of biochar. The process for identifying the Biochar Carbon Stability Test Method is summarized here, and the method itself is available as a separate, technical document.

Biochar and climate change mitigation

[dohboi]

Holy moly, G. Use just a smidgen of critical thinking here. Do you really think that a group called "International Biochar Initiative" is likely to be the best source to go to find a dispassionate, even-handed assessment of biochar? I suppose you go to the NRA site when you want to get an even-handed discussion about the usefulness of having handguns laying around the house?

[Shaved Monkey]

As for biochar; “Burning anything at all seems an unlikely cure for an overheating planet. No matter how it is done, or what is burned”. A fine review in Earth Island Journal; Biochar: Black Gold or Just Another Snake Oil Scheme?

You missed the first reply at the bottom of the article

In your article you claim “Burning anything at all seems an unlikely cure for an overheating planet. No matter how it is done, or what is burned”.

Are you suggesting that flaring methane from a piggery has no value even though it converts the gas from a 21x CO2e into a 1xCO2e.

Perhaps you need to reconsider using hysterical generalisations

By Greg Butler on Tue, October 29, 2013 at 6:47 pm

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . In my experience given a halfway clean latrine most folks will use it rather than crapping on the footpath or in the bushes stepping over other peoples Bogans.

In "developing countries" a small backhoe travelling around a district digging longdrops and shifting skid mounted toilets over the new holes would be more effective than any hi-tech solar powered burner.

Yeah, yeah, I know ground water contamination and all the other downsides (like it depends on diesel fuel0 . . . but have any of you folks stood at the bottom of the hill after the first run off of the season?

All that shit goes into the surface water and that's what people use. I believe it is far better to have it below the surface where it can be covered with lime/sawdust/soil.

After installing such a system in PNG I noticed a definite reduction in flies.

Cheers.

[Graeme]

Holy moly, G. Use just a smidgen of critical thinking here. Do you really think that a group called "International Biochar Initiative" is likely to be the best source to go to find a dispassionate, even-handed assessment of biochar? I suppose you go to the NRA site when you want to get an even-handed discussion about the usefulness of having handguns laying around the house?

Yes. Here is the expert panel for biochar carbon offset methodology:

IBI wishes to thank the members of the Expert Panel, who voluntarily agreed to devote their time to this collective effort, for which we express our gratitude in the name of the global biochar community. The Members of the Expert Panel include:

David Andersson, EcoEra, Sweden
Alice Budai, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research – Bioforsk, Norway
Marta Camps, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, New Zealand
Annette Cowie, Rural Climate Solutions, University of New England, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
Bruno Glaser, Soil Physics Group, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Stephen Joseph, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia
Johannes Lehmann, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, United States
Caroline Masiello, Department of Earth Science, Rice University, United States
Paul Munroe, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia
Frank Shields, Control Laboratories, Inc., United States
Bhupinderpal Singh, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
Saran Sohi, UK Biochar Research Centre, United Kingdom
Beau Webber, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, United Kingdom
Morgan Williams, Biochar Solutions, United States
Andrew Zimmerman, Dept. of Geological Science, University of Florida, United States

Also click on IBI Organisation Members.

Alberta Biochar Initiative (ABI)
American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc. (BBIFMAC)
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
NC Farm Center for Innovation and Sustainability

And click About US for advisory Board and staff

[Graeme]

Agroforestry and biochar to offset climate change: a review

Abstract
Expansion of agricultural land use has increased emission of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climatic changes. Most agricultural soils have lost a large portion of their antecedent soil organic carbon storage, becoming a source of atmospheric carbon-dioxide. In addition, agricultural soils can also be a major source of nitrous oxide and methane. Adoption of conservation agricultural practices may mitigate some of the adverse impacts of landuse intensification. However, optimal implementation of these practices is not feasible under all physical and biotic conditions. Of a wide range of conservation practices, the most promising options include agroforestry systems and soil application of biochar, which can efficiently sequester large amounts of carbon over the long-run. In addition, these practices also increase agronomic productivity and support a range of ecosystem services. Payments to farmers and land managers for sequestrating carbon and improving ecosystem services is an important strategy for promoting the adoption of such practices, aimed at mitigating climate change while decreasing environmental footprint of agriculture and sustaining food security.

springer