sam, there is also an issue of population growth,

slash and burn was okay in a non-industrial society with few people, but with a population explosion, and in the context of additional problems from industrial pollution, it increasingly becomes problematic,

Michel

2011/2/14 Samuel Rose <samuel.rose@gmail.com>
2011/2/8 Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004@gmail.com>:
An aside: I thought it was interesting that Gaia Foundation lists
http://www.gaiafoundation.org/content/biochar as a "False Solution".


Christoph Steiner has some serious research work into biochar and
terra preta/terra mulata
http://biochar.bioenergylists.org/?q=taxonomy/term/118 and the
archaeology of biochar in Amazonia.

Janice Thies's work is also worth reading on this subject
http://css.cals.cornell.edu/cals/css/people/faculty.cfm?netId=jet25

Turns out that biochar at least *was* part of the cultural heritage of
indigenous peoples of Amazonia (and North America). It was even part
of the very ecology itself (natural ecologies evolved and adapted to
human fire activities on both continents. We can still see this today
in species like the Jack Pine native to my home here in Michigan
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_22664-60337--,00.html
which adapted to a landscape where indigenous peoples regularly
started fires).

The contrasting argument is that the ecology of biomass in those times
likely was able to easily afford regular burning, where now massive
deforestation has reduced the global capacity. Still, I think the
ecologies of Amazonia totally change without indigenous people and
fire transforming the landscapes. It is part of the real heritage of
the place from what I understand.





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