GeoTherapy - chapter 15

I have permission from Prof. Reg Preston to circulate a chapter of this book which he authored. Please follow this link for your copy.

“The bottom line

The potential role of biochar as a means of sequestering atmospheric carbon has so far been the main focus of attention. However, its virtues are much wider with potential impacts on soil fertility, plant yield and quality and as an additive in livestock feed, biodigesters and other liquid waste disposal systems. More important is the emphasis that biochar has given to the overall concept of the systems approach to utilization of renewable resources and recycling of wastes with maintenance or improvement in soil fertility. Biochar makes most sense when it is derived from a process that aims to optimize the varied characteristics of biomass, to satisfy the major needs of humanity which are food, energy, shelter and a healthy environment. It needs to be produced and used locally for maximum benefits.”

BiocharCulture - a new book

Dr Reddy has just released a new book on biochar which is freely available via as a PDF file from a web download. The author...

"My latest Book title "Biocharculture - Biochar for Environment and Development" Published by MetaMeta, Netherlands. It took two years to write covering a decade of my endeavour with biochar. I am thankful to all the members in the e-groups for the valuable insights, thanks also to the communities / farmers. This book is declared as open Knowledge.. Available online the links are http://metameta.nl/ or http://metameta.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Biocharculture-Book_20_8_2014_finalSF.pdf or http://metameta.nl/publications/ Thanks to MetaMeta for publishing and all the support."

Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy

http://biocharindia.com

http://goodstove.com

http://e-geo.org

Preface

Click here to download book

"Here is a question often asked with great concern: can agriculture meet the challenges of an expanding world and a global economy that is moving more to ‘middle income’? The projections by the Food and Agricultural Organization for instance are that by 2050 the demand for food and fibres - compared with 2005 - will have expanded by 60% respectively 81%. Is this a challenge that is too hard to meet?

A recent comprehensive review of co-optimizing solution for food, water and energy by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development1 found that we still have many cooptimizing options in hand, but it also means that we need to rejuvenate the way farming is done. Agriculture needs to be more precise. It needs to be better integrated in the landscapes that it is part of and it should be supporting rather than substituting natural processes.

It is in this regard that I am very happy to introduce this book on Biocharculture and also to acknowledge its unfailing energetic author, Sai Bhaskar Reddy. We are happy that much of his overall insights and first hand experiences have become available through this book.
Biocharculture falls very much in a vision of an agriculture that supports and makes use of natural growing mechanism. Biochar is charcoal that is used for other purposes than heating. It can be a byproduct or part of an entire production system. 

Biochar scores on many fronts: it improves the capacity of the soil to retain moisture but also nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. It helps regulate soil temperature and contribute to climate change mitigation. It improves soil life. I still remember that Sai Bhaskar explained a tiny piece of charcoal to me as being a ‘skyscraper for millions of soil biota’. There is still a world to gain – by better understanding this miraculous microbial world and the way our soils and landscapes work and this book hopes to contribute and give practical suggestions and directions. Interesting in some parts of the world biochar is part of the production process where in other it is not. In other words we need to create new traditions and farming cultures, as this book very much argues."
Frank van Steenbergen
Director, MetaMeta

Dr Reddy also published a book on cooking stoves which is also available for download from:
http://metameta.nl/publications/
Understanding Stoves (pdf)  and flash book
S. B. Nakka Reddy, 2012