This is the home for discussion devoted to turning any form of biomass into char for the purpose of making biochar. This is the place to use words like "pyrolysis", "gasification", and "hydrothermal carbonization" ("HTC"). This list will also be the pre-dominant location of terms such as "energy", "biofuels", and "hybrid systems".

This list encompasses all possible scales of production (from those that exist today for industrial-scale biofuel production involving biomass transport over tens of kilometers, to the smallest possible char-making cooking and heating stoves). Discussion of char-making that is polluting (venting) will generally be discouraged, if flaring is at all possible. The list encourages discussion about all possible geographic areas - and all possible biomass feedstocks, except those that would result in the destruction of primary forests.

One type of "characterization" - that of the physical attributes of the char itself - will be focused in this list. We encourage the topic of characterization of biochar in soils in the Biochar in Soils Group. Policy and economic issues related solely to char production are appropriate here, but in general, we encourage those topics in Biochar Policy Group.

You are encouraged to visit the related Yahoo Groups Biochar (basic information), Biochar in Soils, and Biochar Policy Group. As well as our Biochar Web site http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/