Dear Rogerio, Kim, Crispin, Paul and all, It is true that the lure of quick cash is very strong, however I would like to encourage a longer vision. The real powers of biochar producing stoves are: 1) lower emissions 2) eliminate the need to cut down trees for fuel 3) can use fuel too small to be used by wood burning stoves 4) produce biochar 5) sequester CO2 We are no where near 350 ppm CO2, and sadly the areas that are suffering most due to climate issues are (in many cases) the same areas that currently depend on three rock stoves. While I agree that carbon credits seem to have little value vs charcoal sales, they do allow for small villages to set up their own stove factories creating permanent new jobs without asking for outside aid, and the char produced by the stoves when placed in the soil, can increase crop yields to the point that the earnings from the crop yields far exceeds the earning potential of the charcoal sales. All this while increasing food independence, improving nutrition, restoring desertified lands, and sequestering CO2. If people were to sell the charcoal, non of this would be possible. Just my two cents, All the best Nat of WorldStove
Message: 3 Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:17:17 -0400 From: Jean Kim Chaix <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Stoves] Summary of cost of charcoal? Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" Dear Stovers, Apologies for the delayed response to this thread. Yes, we began collecting charcoal and other biomass prices from spot locations around the globe with a view at making it available to stakeholders. We are in the process of making the prices uniform as Rogerio suggested in his comment below. We will make another push shortly online for more submissions. The more data we collect, the more accurate the picture. Also, you should know the info presently visible online does not reflect all the information we possess. We're still fine tuning the categories worth sharing. The second issue is approximating a uniform measure. For example, when folks submit prices for the equivalent of "a coffee can full of charcoal" sold on the side of the road in Port-au-Prince, it then becomes tricky to get a real measure of price/volume of charcoal. Since the most useful measure is probably, as Rogerio suggests, a metric ton, it is best that submission be made using some type of standardized measure, like a 100-lb burlap bag you would use for potatoes. From photographs, it seems this type of bag is the preferred measure in sS-Africa. Finally, a reminder that we are always open to ideas about how to improve this tool! Rgds, Kim Subject: Re: [Stoves] Summary of cost of charcoal? Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes"; format="flowed" Rogerio and all, 30 to 40 cents US per Kg for charcoal is real money!!! Even at half those prices (allowing for char fines and processing, etc), it is still much money. I estimate that a TLUD stove making charcoal could yield 250 to 350 kg of actual carbon (or char with impurities). It is only logical that the poor folks would opt to burn it. The carbon credit folks, especially those wanting to sequester char from stoves, have a loooooong way to go to complete. Rogerio, I am in Brazil for the Rio conference. Will you be there? Or where are you in Brazil? After Rio and Amazon excursion, I am back in Sao Paulo from 19 to 23 Sept at contact number for Cassio: SP 4243 9699. Or we talk via email. What are you up to these days??? Paul
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