This is an extraordinary compilation led by Ute Scheub and contributed by Haiko Pielow, Hans-Peter Schmidt. & Kathleen Draper.
The notation on the front cover:
“….How the World’s Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce World Hunger…”
The back cover provides the enticement to read the contents of this book:
“…..More than 2,500 years ago, the original inhabitants of the Amazon Basin made terra preta, or “black earth,” the world’s most fertile soil. They created this potent substance by taking regular soil and adding biochar–charcoal made from organic wastes. This ancient cultivation method has the potential to solve two of our greatest problems; climate change and hunger crisis.
This sound instruction manual proves anyone can make terra preta and includes inspiring examples from around the world. Passionate and practical, this book offers indispensable advice to all those who feel strongly about creating a better world from the ground up….”
I plunged into this book and, although I am an Applied Scientist, I found examples after examples of basic information that I lacked and did not even comprehend was taking place around me.
Page 6 is one of these:
“….In the topmost 30 centimeters (1 foot) of 1 square meter (11 square feet) of healthy soil there is an incredible abundance of living creatures:
- an estimated 1 trillion bacteria,
- 500 billion flagellates,
- 100 billion rhizopods,
- 10 billion actinomycetes,
- 1 billion fungi,
- 1 million algae,
- 1 million paramecia
- 50,000 furculae,
- 25,000 rotifers,
- 10,000 polychaetes,
- 300 polypods,
- 150 insects,
- 100 dipteran larvae,
- 100 beetles and larvae,
- 80 earthworm,
- and 50 each of spiders, snails and wood lice.
Microorganisms are the oldest form of life on Earth; incredible numbers also live on our bodies–10 times the number of our body’s cells. We are inundated with them, but without them we could not live. They occupy all our surfaces, they protect the skin from pathogens, and they live in our intestines and control our digestion. We are constantly accommodating new microorganisms and dispensing others. They ensure that infectious organisms don’t develop, and even pathogens have their function. When life expires, they create the prerequisites of a new beginning……”
“…..Researchers….have projected that up to now only 5 to 10 percent of all soil organisms are even known, With such limited knowledge, it is impossible to clearly know and recognize their diverse reciprocal effects, coexistences, and symbiotic relationships. The use of metabolic wastes is one of the secrets of living, fertile soil…”
One does not have to be technically educated to appreciate the message in this edition of many books on the subject. As a person born and raised in Saskatchewan, I now find that most farmers cannot drink water from wells on their lands because of pollution from fertilizers and various sprays that control weeds and various infestations. Only sixty years ago I enjoyed that water. What happened since?
The book took me on journeys where it is possible to make your own terra preta as well as biochar and reverse the process of climate change in a positive fashion.
A must read!
Elmer Verigin September 03, 2016
Elmer Verigin 
Elmer: Thank you for this reference. I have read a few books on Terra preta, but was not up to date. Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird wrote about it in their 1998 book”Secrets of the Soil” . I will certainly be looking for this one. You can take the farmer from a Saskachewanian out of his land, but you cannot take the farm out of him. The type of carbon from the amazon does not yield reliable age-dates. This is the rest of the story.
Anastasia’s dream of a new Earth was to have these one hectare gardens, productive, organic/naturally clean/ healthy for all. I had red Tompkins-Bird book just prior to the Anastasia series. That is why it really rang a bell for me.
Cheers and happy gardening and thanks again my friend.
Tony
Tony
There is no way I can get “one up on you” is there?
Jim Holloway put me on to this one. He was one of the “Fearsome Four” that came together at Prince Rupert when Columbia Cellulose Co Ltd thought they hired the best Engineers across Canada. Jim carried on to be a Metallurgist manufacturing Anodes for the Pipeline Industry. He surprised me with the Terra Preta recommendation.
Oh well, little did I expect that you, a Geologist, would end up flirting with Quantum Physics.
Then one of those four, a Mechanical Engineer and Master in Business, ends up doing a therapeutic blog on Cancer.
Well maybe the Biochar history from the Amazon may make a difference for human kind
In my role is still believe in the human dignity in msnkind but then Scientists found God in the atom so we are getting there
Elmer
Thanks Elmer—Very interesting and hard to believe that it has taken so long for some one to recognise the value of this knowledge. We did a little part of it when we spread the manure every year –one could see the difference between the field that got it and the one that didn’t. Alden
Alden
Yes but you essentially are a farmer from Saskatchewan and then from the Okanagan. This places you in the understanding of a fertile soil and barren lands. You were able to impart practical education to your students
How fortunate I am to be surrounded by such beautiful people!!
Till the next “Safety Meeting”
Elmer
These are really great ideas in regarding blogging. You have touched some good points here.
Any way keep up wrinting.
Hi there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if
that would be okay. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
No Twitter
I’m really impressed with your writing skills and
also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare
to see a nice blog like this one nowadays.
Just an ordinary bloke with two fingers on the keypad and many mistakes
I just love people
Hello there! This article could not be written any better!
Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He always kept preaching about this. I am going to forward this information to him.
Fairly certain he’ll have a very good read. I appreciate
you for sharing!
Well it has taken a long time to read all about how bad Carbon creation can be.
This a scientific and practical way to capture this essential element and make it act for us in the food growing process. Look at all the people that can be fed in a relatively small land area.
Is humanity ready for it? The people in the Amazon were 2,500 years ago but the “civilized conquestidors” did not recognize their advanced technology
Are we ready now?
What’s up, I check your new stuff like every week.
Your humoristic style is awesome, keep doing
what you’re doing!
I really love your article. It’s evident that you have a lot of knowledge on this topic.
Your points are well made and relatable. Thanks for writing engaging and
useful material.
Best work you did, this web site is indeed cool as it is full of excellent information.
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little homework on this.
And he actually bought me breakfast because I
discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to
discuss this topic here on your website.
I really like reading a post that can make people think.
Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
I appreciate the time and energy you place into your website along with thorough
information you offer. It’s good to run into a blog
every every now and then that isn’t the same with other materials.
Exceptional article! I’ve saved your website and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google
account.
Betty
I glad you enjoy it as much as I get a pleasure in writing about those subjects that intrigue me
Elmer
I’d like to find out more? I’d want to find out more details.
I suggest you read the book as it explains all
Continue the fantastic work , I read few blog posts on this
website and I believe that your websiteis very fascinating and has
lots of great info.