08-28-2009, 11:47 AM
Katydids are indeed here. Pretty good sized green ones. I don't see them too often but they do fly in.
Sorry, I've no links, as I can't find anything online. If I have the time to scan and diddle around with the paper at hand(and had confidence anyone would actually read it) I'd post it up. Don't worry. Wait about 3 months.
I really doubt anyone is advocating a policy of neglect, really. There may well be answers well informed and more practical than is commonly held. It may take more research to find them, but they may exist.
Biochar here in the US is far behind the page, especially behind Australia and China, who are leading the charge. It is indeed fledgling here, to our shame. There are several companies I'm aware of in the process of attempting to put plants of scale here, but it's a process, no doubt. The problem, unfortunately, self serving ideological issues here very entrenched in the American psyche prohibit a honest valuation of the potential of biochar. To understand the value of biochar you must understand 1) we face a future with a finite resources of petrochemical fertilizer and mined potash -- and 2) we face a future dominated by AGW. If you don't get that, well, it's just spray the hell out of what annoys you, I guess. Can't be bothered with the details. Biochar is a solution to both pressing problems, and a credible one. Perhaps the only credible one.
A biochar processing facility like they're building in China would process 100 tons a day. That's about 5 acres of guava a day per plant. That's biochar and 2-3 Megawatts of power in the grid besides.
Guava needs light to germinate. Cut it and cover it in a cover crop or black plastic. That's about it. The problem isn't guava, nor pigs in the great scheme of things--it's people that bust and clear land and neglect it. This is what spreads it. I've had no trouble at all eliminating guava on my property without sprays, simply applying good practice. You may be hard pressed to believe it, but I've used it up on my small homestead and actually go cut it and bring it home.
All in all I'm very hopeful that this technology will at some point very soon provide jobs, a better environment, and a better future here.
Sorry, I've no links, as I can't find anything online. If I have the time to scan and diddle around with the paper at hand(and had confidence anyone would actually read it) I'd post it up. Don't worry. Wait about 3 months.
I really doubt anyone is advocating a policy of neglect, really. There may well be answers well informed and more practical than is commonly held. It may take more research to find them, but they may exist.
Biochar here in the US is far behind the page, especially behind Australia and China, who are leading the charge. It is indeed fledgling here, to our shame. There are several companies I'm aware of in the process of attempting to put plants of scale here, but it's a process, no doubt. The problem, unfortunately, self serving ideological issues here very entrenched in the American psyche prohibit a honest valuation of the potential of biochar. To understand the value of biochar you must understand 1) we face a future with a finite resources of petrochemical fertilizer and mined potash -- and 2) we face a future dominated by AGW. If you don't get that, well, it's just spray the hell out of what annoys you, I guess. Can't be bothered with the details. Biochar is a solution to both pressing problems, and a credible one. Perhaps the only credible one.
A biochar processing facility like they're building in China would process 100 tons a day. That's about 5 acres of guava a day per plant. That's biochar and 2-3 Megawatts of power in the grid besides.
Guava needs light to germinate. Cut it and cover it in a cover crop or black plastic. That's about it. The problem isn't guava, nor pigs in the great scheme of things--it's people that bust and clear land and neglect it. This is what spreads it. I've had no trouble at all eliminating guava on my property without sprays, simply applying good practice. You may be hard pressed to believe it, but I've used it up on my small homestead and actually go cut it and bring it home.
All in all I'm very hopeful that this technology will at some point very soon provide jobs, a better environment, and a better future here.