Dear Mother: April/May 2009

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A Better Burning Option

The charring methods described in the article are certainly not environmentally friendly, since smoke from charring contains methane, PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and other nastiness. Use a retort kiln instead; they’re really simple. Other methods for burning the fumes during charring exist. See, for example, the Anila stove!

Folke Günther
Lund, Sweden

Biochar to Save the Planet

I thought Barbara Pleasant’s comments on biochar were almost perfect. I say “almost,” hoping there can be more next time on the climate benefits of biochar — a topic that’s driving many people to Mother Earth News. If we all (6.5 billion people) were to produce just a ton of biochar each year, we could offset our entire annual global-atmospheric input of fossil fuel-based carbon. Of course, most of us will have to rely on the local utility or biofuels suppliers to do much of that on our behalf. But as Barbara has demonstrated, we can have better gardens if we do more ourselves, as well.

In addition to the two very different charcoal production techniques offered by Barbara and the blacksmith, let me recommend closing down one’s woodburning stove each night, after letting the last load of wood ignite fully. I’m now getting about a pound or two of cold lump charcoal each morning.

Ronald Larson
Golden, Colorado

Worth the Wait Down Under

We have to wait a long time for Mother Earth News to arrive in Australia, but it’s worth the wait. The articles about renewable energy are always outstanding and are becoming ever more relevant. The photos in We See You are brilliant. I’ve enclosed my shot of a liverwort.

Helen Moss
Croydon, Victoria, Australia

True to our Roots

W.J. Graves complained in the December 2008/January 2009 Dear Mother that Mother Earth News is now “without real plans, real solutions, real self-sufficiency.” I guess plans for making a built-in bed, energy-efficient furnace solutions, and self-sufficient veggie gardening and chicken raising are not enough for him. I am happy to be returning to Mother after a 15-year break because the magazine seems more true to its roots than ever before.

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