The Portal to Boomeranger World

Biochar: A Simple Process to Save the Planet?

Energizing Soil

Biochar isa charcoal-based soil amendment -- locking in carbon back to depleted soil.

Michelle, Matt, Dane, and Greg are students of Prof Michael Moore, NOT THE Michael Moore, but The Michael R. Moore of Mich Tech Univ Humanities Dept, (email:  mmoore@mtu.edu)  where he teaches English and other Humanities courses. This summer he and the four students  explored an amazing soil enrichment/amendment/facilitator process called 

Biochar.

What biochar looks like is that light fluffy charcoal looking stuff left after a campfire. It's not ash and it's not charred wood, but it is burned wood that crumbles easily.

Michael is a "boomer" (baby boomer) and in his studies has traveled a lot in South and Central America. Honduras is where he came across biochar which is an ancient burn process the results of which add water and nutrients to the soil--permanently. The bits of biochar are like magnetic sponges, attracting and soaking up nutrient and water molecules and increasing plant growth 880%. Yep, you read it right-- 880% and forever!

Anything formerly living can be slow burned and turned into biochar.

It is also called agrichar. And best of all mixed into the soil, biochar is carbon negative. I think that means that carbon is drawn out of the air into the soil. I have to double check this to really understand the process; but the main point that the creation of biochar is carbon neutral and probably reduces carbon in the air when added to the soil.

The burn process can be done in your backyard or on a commercial level. As I understand it better more later. So thanks to  Vaboomer Prof Moore and his four students for introducing me to this amazing process. Cornell Biochar;   Biochar Org  Producers of Agrichar

Biomass Briquettes

RENEWABLE HEATING ALTERNATIVE:

Also of interest are biomass briquettes for heating and cooking alternatives.  

Briquettes are made from crop waste  from harvested crops:  corn stalk residue, sugar cane, rice husks, newspapers or sawdust.

They can be made with a hand press - a PVC pipe and some wood.  Binding material such as molasses or corn starch may be added, or the natural binding material within the residue may suffice.

What the heck are we waiting for!?!

Honor Your Mother by Creating a Backyard Habitat Environment in Your Yard.

In a reply to Bull's Shoals comment I gave the wrong site address for the Montclair Backyard Habitat Community Project. It should be www.montclairwildlife.com .

By 2010 we intend to have our entire town of about 36,000,  certified as Backyard Habitat Community by the National Wildlife Federation.

So far we have most of our town's schools, many of its churches and synagogues, many homes, and some businesses.

When I moved here from Newark, NJ, where I also gardened without pesticides and other toxic additives, I began converting my yard to organic immediately. That means I stopped using anything on my lawn except grass clippings--the ones that fell back on the lawn when they were cut.

Each blade of grass is mostly water and the rest is minerals and cellulose. So when you rake or bag your clippings you are robbing your lawn of free water and feeding.

You have to retrain your mind to see a lawn as a patchwork quilt instead of an indoor outdoor carpet. In other words, the "weeds"  that pop up are really wildflowers. 

Ten Tips for backyard habitats: Ten Tips

LECTURE TONIGHT: I am lecturing tonight! (Yikes, it's late) on China, so this post will be it for this week unless I get inspired and find some time over this busy weekend. My lecture is called, "Think 'Go' not 'Chess': The Chinese Global Encompassment." With production, technology, raw materials, debt, and such moving to China, we urgently need to look to our inventive future and go green in our economy and thinking. While we individually can Go Slow Green in our daily lives--our best creativity needs to be in high green gear. I hope to be able to put up some of my lecture on Youtube.

Below is the Youtube film on my book, "The Dragon's Daughters Return." It gives an arm chair view of contemporary China seen through the eyes of middle school daughters returning to visit the country of their birth with their adoptive parents. Very heartwarming story.

Go to  Thimble Berry Press to order the book.

Remember make peace this Mother's Day. Don't buy anything. Plant something. Give hugs and kisses. Write a poem. Start a backyard habitat yard. Honor all the mothers that gave and give you life.

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Of Interest:

Love is Out at the Pond   (why we need natural spaces)

Gift Ideas:

 

Tomato Heirloom seeds:   Mariseeds

 

 

   
Make an  Eco-Shopping Bag:  Long Meadow Farm