List:
I should like to have some list discussion on
continuation/discontinuation of the term “BECS”. This is prompted by an
off-list conversation on the use of “BECS" to include Biochar (and other bio
forms of CDR), which I was trying to avoid on 13 Nov.
Reason #1: “BECS” has been used to mean the same thing as BECCS
“Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Sequestration”. BECCS has only the
single meaning of liquefaction of CO2 and (either storage or sequestration)
deep underground or in the ocean. BECCS is easily found in Googling or Wiki -
with only this liquid/pressure/deep meaning. The “BECCS” wiki is at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bio-energy_with_carbon_capture_and_storage. The
term BECCS doesn’t seem about to change meaning. BECS to mean BECCS occurred
in a 2004 paper by Peter Read and Jonathon Lermit; they were referring to what
we now call BECCS
(http://www.iea-etsap.org/web/Workshop/worksh_6_2003/2003P_read.pdf. ) This
was also the way BECS was used by the Royal Academy (see the definitions in
Section 18 of
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/221/22105.htm.
The BECCS entry in Wiki also refers to Laurens Rademacher using BECS in 2007
(see http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1106-carbon-negative_becs.html)
I have seen other uses of BECS to mean BECCS, but BECS is hard to find via
Googling (see below), so I can’t tell how many other uses there are.
I conclude from this considerable prior use of "BECS” that it would be
wise to not try to change this “BECS” = “shorthand of BECCS” meaning of “BECS”
to include biochar and other bio-oriented CDR approaches.
Reason #2: “BECS” has also appeared in the above Wiki on BECCS as
part of the term IMBECS, often written about on this list by Michael Hayes
(see July 9, 2014). His BECS includes more than the term BECCS (although MIT
mislabeled his proposal that way). I wish he had used a term other than BECS,
but the I and M in his work perhaps significantly modifies the BECS. IMBECS is
quite prominent in the Wiki on BECCS, but I don’t think Michael wants “BECS”
to include afforestation and burial. I am interested in where other ocean CDR
approach proponents stand on the term “BECS”.
I conclude that Wiki’s description of BECCS is not recommending BECS to
mean something different (but is [?] mostly saying that BECS = BECCS). My
“mostly” refers to IMBECS and the Reason #1 examples. I will try to clarify
at the wiki site, depending on responses to this message.
Reason #3: Google comes up with something CDR-related only once in
its first 10 pages (100 entries). That is on its page 3 recognizing the above
2004 paper by Peter Read and Jonathon Lermit. As noted for Reason #1, R&L used
BECS to mean what we all (?) understand now by BECCS, with their C meaning
carbon (not capture), and their “S” was for storage.
I conclude that Google is not trying to help with defining BECS.
Reason #4: I can’t find one place where the biochar community talks of
BECS - much less that biochar is a subset of BECS. I think this is also true
for researchers in BECCS, afforestation, and burial areas. I should think
“BECS” especially awkward for BECCS proponents.
I conclude few CDR proponents would advocate being part of BECS.
Reason #5: I can find the idea that “BECS” should include all the
biomass parts of CDR only on this list (see 13 Nov.) and the Wiki working page
associated with the BECCS entry
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Bio-energy_with_carbon_capture_and_storage&action=edit
I conclude from the wiki dialog that BECS is not now “officially”
recognized by wiki to include biochar and similar bio approaches.
I am sympathetic to the advantages of having an acronym that distinguishes
the biological from the geological, chemical, and other CDR types. Maybe
CDR-B, CDR-G, etc?
So here’s hoping we can talk more about using the term “BECS”.
Ron
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