Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["John D'hondt" <dhondt@eircom.net>]

Traditionally charcoal was made in an earth covered heap of timber. Timber 
that would contain some 14 % water. As long as the escaping steam was white 
all the vents were kept open for that was taken as water escaping. Well, 
mostly, CO2 is not visible. As soon as the smoke became brown all the vents 
were closed to keep heat in and oxygen out.
Of course if you restrict oxygen you are going to produce carbon monoxide 
which is worse in all respects than CO2.
john

> I was wondering this myself. In most of the videos I've seen about making 
> charcoal, it sure looks like an awful lot of white smoke is going up into 
> the atmosphere. Marty, I see that you're using an oxygen-reduced burn, 
> which should release less CO2, but clearly it's not a zero-emissions 
> situation. Are you certain that most of the CO2 in the wood isn't just 
> floating away?
>
> Liz
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
> To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 3:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Making Biochar in my New Char Chamber
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