Hypothetically every person in Australia can be powered with renewable electricity

3 main tiers/scales
- grid
- microgrids
- standalone
    - stationary
    - mobile

10 main barriers
- politics

  - positive = 'do something' or 'do a lot'

  - negative = 'do nothing' or 'a baseload power argument distraction' to wind back years of progress
- a sense of urgency in a climate emergency

- plastic straw executive orders
- mining 'critical' minerals for renewable energy materials
- grid and microgrid transmission lines and electronics
- R&D
    - seed funding
    - engineering
    - materials
        - green chemistry
- commercialisation
    - seed funding
    - grants
- manufacturing
    - solar PV panels
    - wind turbines
    - batteries
    - bioelectricity/Biochar kilns

    - wave or wave/solar PV/wind

    - solar thermal 'Green Hydrogen' production with a special catalyst eg.activated biochar
    - ? manufacturing credits for 'critical' renewable energy infrastructure
- affordability
    - incentives/subsidies
    - project grants
    - pensioner discounts
- deployment
    - red tape/approvals
    - logistics
    - installation

- A discussion list for a 'Greener Economy' for climate adaptation and (partly) trade war proofing
- Not an exhaustive list but exhausting (and fun) to research
How? A hypothesis with a good dose of dogma, philosophy, economic and climate 'reality':

Degrowth of unsustainable 'Ancient sunlight' growth and growth of sustainable 'Carbon negative' 'New sunlight' industry.

I can bake a cake and eat it - or brew beer and drink it...but what about economic complexity?

How much of it do we, or anyone, need?

What if a Carbon negative new sunlight industry was more complex, localised, regionalised and in some cases 'Nationalised' through PPPs (eg.grid) and more resilient to external shocks eg. climate, than the current economic trajectory with more fossil expansions and mines and a threat (from the opposition) to remove our 2030 'Emissions Reduction Target' (and possibly 2050 net zero target too)?

BUT - to be fair (kind of), the targets are too low without enough ambition - but it would be like Trump pulling the US out of WHO calling it a 'bad deal' when he just could have reduced funding to a more 'fair' number...BUT a lower ERT (both 2030 and 2050) would make no sense at all - they are already BOTH compromised numbers. If anything changed, the targets would need to go higher (or earlier) but probably couldn't be achieved with existing economic planning - what's left of it. It would be mostly left to the private sector to do the heavy lifting however what if, say, greentech startups could get a helping hand, using some of that fossil subsidy money, perhaps, or even money from a hefty fossil C export tax? Otherwise, not much will change in the mining industry and the downstream green or appropriate technologies that we can dare to imagine without using most, or any, Oz materials or off-the-shelf components.

This is a future we can sustainably adapt to or a future in which we can lose our way.

So here we go...

Mining
- Earth
    - water efficient and non-toxic wastewater
    - Iron ore eg.magnetite
        - steel
    - Copper
        - transmission lines and substations for the upgraded renewable energy grid
        - batteries
        - electronics
    - bauxite
        - Aluminium
            - high energy for smelting but could be powered from renewables eg. green Hydrogen?
            - recyclable many times over
    - High quality ceramic grade clay
        - Solid State Batteries (SSBs)
    - Lithium
        - Oz controls approximately 46% of world production (2020, ABS)
        - very high water footprint
        - batteries BUT Sodium tech has caught up with first generation Li ion batteries and is getting great results for SSBs and will continually improve over time
    - rare earth minerals BUT sand mining unsustainable
        - electronics
- Atmosphere
    - Carbon (biomass to biochar)
        - C sequestration and permanent C removal
    - water (Atmospheric Water Harvesting eg. Energy efficient powered machines and panels)
    - Nitrogen (fertilizer)
- Ocean
    - CO2
        - concrete (or 5% biochar)
        - ethanol
        - C sequestration BUT not permanent removal unless geologically stored which is a waste of the resource
    - multipurpose eg. Desalination mining
        - water
            - potable/drinking
            - growing systems, with the exception of some crops eg.sorghum and some microalgaes that can grow in saline irrigation water
            - Green Hydrogen, for iron ore/?Al reduction (and performance cars)
        - Sodium
            - batteries
        - ? Lithium
            - batteries

Materials
- industry
    - housing
        - hempcrete
            - hemp Hurd
            - C negative lime (hemp waste Bioenergy to biochar)
            - water
    - transport
        - Carbon fibre (Biochar feedstock)
    - power grid/microgrids
    - steel
        - construction
        - Biochar stoves and kilns
    - manufacturing
- DIY
    - appropriate technology eg. Biochar: air and water filters,Top-Lit UpDraft stoves and kilns, Flame Cap kilns; and everything under the ☀️
- biomimicry
    - everywhere you look in nature
- biotechnology
    - plants
        - Climate adapted, such as drought, frost and fire tolerant
        - industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa)

            - eg.'Multipurpose'
                - high nutrition and high yield seed
                - high quality and high yield hurd

                - pharmaceuticals

                - cosmetics
        - microalgae
            - food (fish/humans) in the desert
            - biofuels
            - pharmaceuticals
    - plant waste biomass eg.hemp, bamboo, kelp, microalgae, sorghum etc. -> biochar
    - yeast (booze, bread and biology)
    - pharmaceuticals
    - cosmetics
Manufacturing
- consumed in Oz
    - electronics eg. Carbon based
    - renewable energy
        - solar PV and solar thermal
        - wind turbines
        - Bioenergy: biomass-> Biochar + power and heat (optional)
        - wave eg. Vertical or horizontal
        - combination eg. Wind, solar PV and wave
        - SSBs
            - stationary/mobile
            - eg. Sodium-air
                - nano MnOx-Biochar composite, Ceramic MOF (Na-biochar+ceramic), Air (Oxygen)  (anode/electrolyte/cathode): new design
    - affordable and green EVs: land, air and sea
        - eg.personal and public transport on land
            - Na-air SSB (Circuit 1)
            - perovskite PV-hemp fibre-C fibre 'massless' battery (doped in KCl) biocomposite panels (Circuit 2)
            - solar glass windows (Circuit 3)
            - Aluminium frame
        - eg2. Logistics
            - trucks
            - planes
            - ships
        - agricultural machinery
        - mining machinery
    - Machinery
        - imported? or built in Oz
        - fabricated with Oz materials eg. Steel
        - 3D printed parts eg. Plastic and Metal powders
    - ?import tariffs on ?
- surplus exported after domestic demand is met, where there are holes/demand in the world market (globalisation) BUT near impossible to control unless PPPs for specific technologies, possibly in an emergency situation
- Intellectual Property (IP)
    - can anyone keep secrets?
    - mainly used to protect  manufacturing operations (centralized/decentralised)
    - potentially licensed for Industry 4.0
    - ideally open source/access for Planet saving ideas
+
'Fossil Free Future' for a cooler Planet
- catchy phrase but a lot of work to do before now and then, eg.
    - moratorium on new fossil expansions and mines
    - hefty fossil C export tax eg. Natural gas (unnatural methane), coal etc.
+
'Biochar, bread and beer' survival system
eg. Grains, such as semi-arid or arid growing crops eg. sorghum (grown in some parts of Africa), growing in Biochar swales (initially using Biochar from other biomass waste or biomass waste from crops not grown (yet) in biochar) to produce more biomass waste for more biochar swales...
+ Bread and beer, to nourish the body and soul (from grain + baking yeast)
https://www.kiva.org/blog/sorghum-beer-recipe

Here's a you beaut idea for semi-arid areas...

Agave is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas with approximately 270 species.

Agave species vary in economic use which could include Mezcal/Mescal spirit (from over 40 Agave species, varieties, and subvarieties eg. Agave angustifolia), fibre, medicine, health products, biofuels eg. aviation fuel, animal fodder, provide natural defences to bushfires/wildfires and many more uses. I recommend checking out:

Nugent, Jeff, 'Permaculture plants: Agaves and Cacti', SARI, 2016, Australia

for more information, with a trove of plant information with many interesting economic uses listed.

Here's also a great page about the Mezcal traditions in Mexico:

https://www.wheresidewalksend.com/frequently-asked-questions/oaxaca-agave-varieties-and-mezcal-production/

I've been successfully growing Agave attenuata (Foxtail, Lion's tail or swan neck) in biochar pots, with an unmilled biochar bottom aquifer (a 'wicking sponge') and permafert top layer with unmilled biochar, for 10 years. I've been thinking about growing Agave for Mezcal (and other crops) for 6 months on some spare land which is located in the Barossa Mediterranean/semi-arid climate zone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal

As it turns out, someone is already doing it in Sonoma Country, California, USA, through a group known as 'HIVE' (Healthy Vibrant Innovative Ecosystem). https://www.hiveinnovation-petaluma.com/

They are growing Agave in biochar though which species are being grown needs to be clarified.

At HIVE,  the biochar is produced in a kiln designed and built by Takachar processing organic farm waste. The kiln is transported via a tractor in field. They also got an X-Prize milestone award and Earthshot prize for the kiln..

The Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kiln which I designed last year with Dr TLUD's help can be moved to where it is needed for biochar production in field and easily assembled. It can probably be transported around a field with a ute, tractor and trailer or quad bike and trailer (for a standard unit), depending on the ground condition and what's available, or between fields in the back of a ute, single or dual cab (see Algorithm page under the 'Logistics' section for some interesting numbers).

To provide an overview of my other growing system research, I built the Permachar Kitchen Garden (PKG) 7 years ago which is still working great, growing perennial Mediterranean herbs, using unmilled bottom biochar aquifers and inoculated milled biochar in Permafert for the top layer (also using drip irrigation). I built my Zai pits with an unmilled biochar bottom aquifer and Permafert top layer with milled biochar to grow the '3 Sisters' for 2 seasons with some success as I was trying out different bucket irrigation regimes (but pretty small corn). I'm also successfully growing fig trees in 90L fabric pots using a combination of inoculated unmilled biochar (with liquid sea kelp, Popul8 microbes and molasses) and composted poultry manure at a ratio of 1:1. More experiments too with bottom aquifers or no bottom aquifers, biochar particle size using milling or no milling and inoculated biochar combinations for Permafert.

I'm hoping to start an Agave angustifolia (Espadin) (or other Agave species) trial using vine wood waste for biochar produced in the Algorithm and grow them in swales built in my paddock. Using my combined research mentioned, and taking into account Algorithm kiln logistics and quench procedure, I'm going to try unmilled biochar in plant specific Permafert (with no bottom aquifer) to fill the swales.

Vircura, a biotechnology company in South Australia, is doing cell tissue cultures of Agave tequilana (along with Industrial Hemp R&D). They have started a trial in McLaren Vale growing Agave tequilana in mounds, presumably for good drainage which the Agave like.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-09-23/south-australia-first-agave-crop-grown-wine-grape-producers-sa/104383636

But, it seems rainfall is decreasing in the Barossa Valley. My theory is it will continue to do so with climate change, so why not take a punt with swales using biochar that will hold more water for longer than mounds?

Potentially, vineyards who want to diversify in order to be more climate-proofed could use the land from cleared vines for Agave growing, using the collected vine wood waste in combo with an expandable Algorithm kiln to produce the biochar in field and help grow the Agave with possible additional crops too.

According to Susan Wood, "Agave plants require 3 inches of water per acre annually. That’s compared to almonds, which require approximately 50 inches of water per acre, pistachios, which need 40 inches; and tomatoes which need 30 inches." in an article titled 'Agave growing with other crops, ventures at new North Bay ag hub' in the North Bay Business Journal on 23/12/2024. Though I would predict that sunlight, nutrient and water requirements will vary somewhat between different Agave species and varieties (more research).

I understand vine wood biochar has high Carbon porosity (needs more research) as most wood does, which could be perfect for adsorbing and storing large volumes of water after rainfall, then slowly release it back to the plant roots. The vine wood biochar, produced in an Algorithm, would be quenched with soil and possibly manure after a burn, so would be unmilled. Standard trench diggers could be possibly calibrated to dig shallow trenches (that still need a clay bottom to harvest and store water mainly in the biochar) with some shovel/?machine work on the sides for the swales. Intercropping, or mixed cropping, could be adopted, which could be especially useful for a winery restaurant operation that needs herbs, food and a variety of booze (wine, Mezcal and beer and possibly some 'Ancient Brews') as a point of difference. For eg. Agave tequilana or oaxaca in some swales; Mediterranean perennial herbs (no compost needed) and vegetables (compost needed) in some swales; other swales: legumes eg. lentils; grains eg. sorghum, wheat and barley, for bread and brews. 'Measured Irrigation' (https://www.measuredirrigation.com/) could be used if needed, which would require some but not all existing water infrastructure eg. no need for irrigation controllers and power, is usually automated gravity fed drip irrigation - but not for the Agave which are drought-tolerant. The Permafert can be engineered for each crop, adding different product/DIY combinations for inoculation eg. liquid sea kelp, microbes, molasses and fungal spores, once the Permafert has cooled down after quenching.

In the HIVE operation, farmers were planning a 5 year growing cycle and in the McLaren Vale operation, a 4 year growing cycle is planned. I imagine that this will vary between different growing systems, species and varieties and climate and weather which is becoming more unpredictable with climate change. Agave can be harvested at any time of the year which is an added bonus. Once they are established, minimal tending is needed, assuming they are pest and disease resistant too (more research), then harvest when the plants are ready.

What about frosts? There were bad frosts in September 2024 in South Australian wine regions. According to Michael Kies of Kies Family Wines, who has seen 55 vintages, has never seen a frost like this.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-18/frosts-wipe-out-wine-grape-crops/104359736

Frosts and cold are also a problem for Agave species that are not 'frost tolerant' - which Agave angustifolia is, according to Jeff Nugent in his book referenced above. I think it's best to get specific information per Agave species and research widely, especially if it's going to be a commercial crop plant.

There's also a possibility of earning Biochar Carbon Removal credits using the Algorithm to produce biochar in the future. This is an area I'm currently researching.

It would be great to see in the future Mezcal/Mescal spirits locally produced in the tasting rooms around the wine growing areas.

Very excited to share the idea!

Climate, renewables, manufacturing and housing for 'top down global thinking and bottom up integrated action' (nice one, David Holmgren)
- moratorium on new fossil mines and fossil mine expansions (the Greens wouldn't disagree)
- a large fossil export 'C tax' (good one Prof Garnaut and co) that can fund:
- massive spending boost on renewable energy R&D, manufacturing and deployment, linked into the legislated 'Future Made in Australia' policy (great work, ALP) and housing crisis
- industrial hemp industry funding boost for crop research and industry expansion for cultivars possibly with both high yield and high quality seed (health) and Hurd (housing) for
    - hempcrete public housing eg. ecovillages (ecovillage.org), using Oz grown hemp, C neutral/negative lime, hemp waste to biochar (at least 5%) and water plus surplus biochar for regenerative hemp growing (perpetual motion)
    - integrated with Oz manufactured renewable energy tech
- a Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) strategy (eg.Denmark) linked into ANZBIG's 'Australian Biochar Industry 2030 Roadmap' and the Carbon Removal Marketplace (CRM) with the hemp industry possibly as the flagship for (hemp) waste to biochar (mentioned above) plus many more biomass feedstocks, biochar production technologies and biochar applications should be investigated (in addition to biochar's permanent 'C removal'/'Inertinite maceral' for Phil Sutton's 'Climate Emergency' for a 'Safe Climate')
- more apprenticeships to meet the skills shortage in the above industries

Plus
- a social media campaign for positive messaging to spruik all/some/?any of the above policy positions

- social media to actively counteract the LNPs 'baseload' nuclear power deception/fossil fuel expansion agenda (Getup analysis) (as opposed to 'dispatchable' renewables which are already locking in as the future energy supply of the National Electricity Market, and possibly for the rest of the Country too)

- a Youtube politician debate channel that could stream from TV debates or other political debating forums

Down the track

-a smartphone app for greater Civil political engagement with voting on issues and commenting on proceedings during Parliament 'Question Time' and beyond via a cloud front end dashboard on a large monitor plus touch screen kiosk, possibly in the foyer (a little distracting in the main room) - for visitors and the pollies (when not in 'Question Time') to monitor feedback (with some AI moderation). I'm imagining it as a political art installation, with the past (QE2) and the present (realtime comments and voting on issues) looking towards building an awesome future that most of us deserve. Kind of like avaaz.org comment monitors for climate COP meetings on roids. Alternatively, if pollies can still use smartphones in Parliament, they could check out the metrics and comments in realtime during 'Question Time'.

-Maybe a Citizen's Assembly could be a better idea? Works well apparently in the UK...

What can I do? My goal now is to undertake data engineering training on Codecademy as I need to get a job, rather than sucking up to investors for VC, in order to fund the Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kiln project which I believe has a bright future if it tests and develops well...I ask myself, why not combine virtual engineering, such as a dMRV for a CRM (see the Algorithm page), with physical engineering including both the Algorithm and biochar engineered materials? Eg., I could specialise in data pipelines for IoT and link the Algorithm to a custom CRM...I guess if you had to theorise it, this would make me an 'Eco-Marxist Capitalist Survivalist'. I want people to have the opportunity to build and own their own biochar kiln hardware ('own the means of production'/cherry picked Marxism), produce biochar for themselves (Survival) with C removal for the Planet (Eco) and get paid well to do it (poverty busting Capitalism). This is possible and already starting to happen around the world.

As I've blogged previously, sometimes technology and politics get mixed up together! I think I'll have a lot more fun doing tech without the politics. I'm interested to see where all of this can lead me, and whoever else wants to get involved - please do ('Contact' page).

Cheers! Happy 2025!

The forests are becoming net Carbon emitters (wildfires and deforestation pressures), the Oceans are overloaded with CO2 and acidifying (phytoplankton) and the permafrost Carbon bomb is going off with methane release due to anaerobic bacterial ingestion of Carbon from thawed out biomass (28 times more warming potential than CO2). Permafrost contains most of the terrestrial Carbon. There's also 'Tipping point' theory. A lot of intel around that. Speak science to power.

Is this a climate emergency?

So, the idea is this, without using fancy economic modelling:

Tax the Carbon export commodities eg. fossil fuels, with a large Carbon export tax (disincentive for C pollution).

• I highly doubt there will be a global marketplace for biochar trading as it would be unsustainable and would defeat the point of a low or no Carbon logistics footprint of biochar production, distribution and application.

Pay the Carbon removalists/Charistas on the Carbon Removal Marketplace (incentive for C removal).

Bad idea: CO2 import/export marketplace. What about the C logistics footprint and acidification of aquifer groundwater? Presumably, the idea was conceived by the fossil industry to prolong the use of 'clean' fossil fuel using dodgy CCS tech.

I've got a hot Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kiln design and Carbon Removal Marketplace platform concept ready to R&D for software, data and Charista entrepreneurs on the ground floor.

Maybe we can contribute to a 'Safe climate' for all species with potentially the cheapest biochar production per litre (Algorithm), the most efficient (harnessing the power of deep learning) and granular (down to individual panel kilns) platform?

All the computers and software in the world can't remove Carbon. Someone needs to do it. Complex biochar kilns are bloody expensive which only the elite can afford. What if the software backend crashes? Well, you've still got a biochar kiln that can produce biochar for many use cases, can be sold and can be bartered. What do you have to lose? Maybe I could get paid in 10 minutes after a burn to remove Carbon? Is that a risk worth taking?

Please get in touch on the 'Contact' page and we can make this happen!

"The ability to adapt to and survive the environment, finding a niche to live regeneratively meeting one's needs, maintaining a spiritual connection to the Earth, leaving a 'net negative' resource and pollution footprint behind during one's lifetime."

Ideally, the environment left at the end of one's life is better overall than the beginning of one's life, leaving an inheritance for the 'Seventh Generation' in the future.

Points to consider
- Economic plant species
    - the past, present and future
    - key to transitioning away from fossil fuel
    - many biotechnology opportunities
    - key species
        - hemp
        - bamboo
        - macroalgae
        - microalgae
        - palms and ferns
        - agaves and cacti
- Appropriate Technology
    - a key adaptation strategy and very useful
    - IP mainly in the Creative Commons
    - money, skills, tools and materials to build the 'Apptech'
    - appropedia.org
- renewable energy
    - key to the transition
    - energy everywhere available for harvesting
    - manufacturing opportunities
    - maintenance jobs
- landscape regeneration
    - 'Green Walls' with economic plant species to defend against encroaching desertification
- Carbon footprint
    - adaptation to climate change. How?
    - Permanent Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) for 'Inertinite'
    - globally paid credits for BCR in the 'Carbon Removal Marketplace' (CRM)
    - Biochar production technologies (extensively blogged about with a LOT of intel on this website)
    - Biochar integrated into both ecology and economy with economic opportunity at scale (ideally household, community, bioregional, National).
- Water footprint
    - rainwater harvesting
    - sustainable lake, river, stream water harvesting
    - Desalination of saline water eg. Seawater, brackish groundwater
    - Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH)
- chemical footprint
    - consumption of circular products using 'Green chemistry' which means avoiding fossil fuel based products and polluting chemicals

Plants. The past and the future with upgrades for climate change...

- economic plant species
    - bamboo eg. Tulda
    - hemp (https://hempcarbonstandard.org/about/)
    - macroalgae eg.kelp
    - microalgae eg. Spirulina

    - Plants for a Future (https://pfaf.org/user/)

    - Nugent, Jeff, 'Permaculture plants: Agaves and Cacti, SARI, 2016, Australia

    - Nugent, Jeff, 'Permaculture plants - A selection', SARI, 1996, Australia
    - Nugent, Jeff, 'Permaculture plants: Palms and Ferns', 2016, SARI, Australia

    - Toensmeier, Eric, 'Perennial Vegetables', 2007, Chelsea Green Publishing, USA

    - Laws, Bill, 'Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History', 2010, Quid Publishing, Australia

    and many more!!
    ->
- biomass waste->
- Pyrolysis->
- Biochar, for permanent Carbon removal/Inertinite eg. Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel kiln (optional heat (biomass drying) + electricity for exxy but awesome kilns eg. ECHO2) ->
- AWH (intermittent (day/night)/continuous (awesome), unpowered (solar thermal eg. Biochar hydrogel paint)/ powered (solar PV for a machine or fans)) or desalination (RO, CDI, solar; graphene membrane (?2 stages) for RO + activated Biochar/Carbon for pathogens and contaminants) or groundwater or rainfall or river water
->

Soil-based growing systems
1. Regenerative Agroforestry System (RAS), using swales, Zai pits or Swale-Zai pit hybrids, with optional 'Measured Irrigation' tech (https://www.measuredirrigation.com/)   

->(back to top)

Soil-free (but not water-based) growing systems

1. CompoChar

2. Hemp bioplastic 90L fabric pots with inoculated biochar: manure 1:1 for eg.dwarf fruit trees

3. Permachar Wicking Pots, with inoculated biochar: manure 1:1 for eg. herbs

Water-based growing systems
1. Microalgae (freshwater: AWH, desalination of seawater, desalination of groundwater; saline water: seawater, brackish groundwater): (monitoring, motorised paddle, semi-transparent Perovskite PV lid, Carbon-based SSB, scaleable raceway ponds)

->fish food (or human consumption)->Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) (https://a-culture.com.au/)->fish (freshwater/saline)

->fish poo

->water plants
eg1. for freshwater: taro, mint, arrowroot, yams, chestnuts, cress etc.
eg2. for saline water: seaweed, for human consumption or Asparagopsis, for cows to decrease methane emissions from burps and farts

The ol' maxim 'Save the Planet' could be interpreted in a number of ways.
It would be ridiculous and ignorant to believe one person could save all species, climate and Civilization as we know it. Collaboration is the new black - or even the new 'black-green'. Project based collaboration, I believe, is now the key to 'Saving the Planet' and can work physically and culturally on the household, community, bioregional and global levels. There's still a role for National Government planning and finance (with broad consultation on policy) or even Global pledges eg. Carbon emission targets, or even a UN-led Carbon Removal Marketplace (CRM) platform proposed below but ultimately it's what is done on the ground that matters and contributes to healthier ecosystems and improved living standards for most involved.

Development isn't something that should be 'done to other people' but it often is. Maybe the world climate finance for developing Countries can improve the development game with more community led projects but maybe not. A new agreement at COP29 in Baku called the 'Baku Finance Goal' is building a new Carbon credit scheme, spending some but presumably not all of the money on this. The voluntary Carbon credit market has an appalling track record for useless projects eg. tree monoculture plantations and corruption. A UN controlled ledger hopes to change that with complete transparency for Countries that can't manage their own ledgers (according to who?) and a State to State Carbon trading system (with less transparency) in place to fill the gaps. Or, at least, that was what I managed to work out but it may be interpreted differently. Kind of like running 2 horses.

I have a proposition, though a little late for COP29. I believe a better idea would be to design, build and manage a CRM platform by the UN for the free market, which can accept money for purchasing 'Carbon removal credits' from Carbon removal projects eg.BCR, from any entity including Governments, any companies and individuals, which is effective, transparent, measures Carbon removal at the 'source' for easier Carbon accounting, similar to puro.earth but using a less complex and more streamlined MRV system, and whatever other criteria are deemed essential for a 'good' platform. Carbon removal projects could be limited to Countries where money is needed to be distributed for climate justice and adaptation. In the case of BCR, which make up the lion's share of Carbon removal projects, 'manufacturing credits' for accredited small to medium sized fabricators to produce biochar production technologies and the tools to build them could be purchased by the CRM platform from a separate fund. So, I guess you could say the CRM platform takes the best attributes from both a free and subsidised market.  In addition, there could be another separate fund supporting NGOs doing skills transfer for BCR projects linked in to the CRM platform. Could be a job for COP30?

Some notable projects out there are setting the new standard for sustainable development with BCR eg. Planboo (planboo.eco), CarbonKapture (carbonkapture.com), PlantVillage (plantvillage.psu.edu), Dutch Carboneers (dutchcarboneers.com) and Aqueous Solutions (Aqsolutions.org) and more. These projects are integrating BCR into communities with a focus on growing systems eg. Agroforestry for coffee growing in Columbia (PlanBoo), plant pest and disease control  in African villages and more (PlantVillage), conservation (various) and other applications eg. Water filtration (upcoming book "A field guide to biochar water treatment" from Aqueous Solutions). For more general information, the International Biochar Initiative is recommended (biochar-international.org). There's also a great biochar farmers guide available for purchase at anzbig.org/farmers-guide-2024
The projects can also serve as a model for other communities in particular those with similar physical and cultural parameters BUT biochar is universal - where there is a climate, sunlight, water, nutrients, minerals and plants (with optional soil for microbes, fungus and fauna) there can be biochar produced - just need some biochar production tech, the skills, tools and materials to make it and a good dose of optimism.

Ultimately, a given community needs to take ownership of their projects, lead them and make their own choice that yes, they need help, and choose who helps them which is now enabled by the Internet where there is access to it everywhere with the 'Starlink Mini'. It's a great opportunity for the altruist ideally via NGOs to assist local people achieve their 'sustainable development goals', do good, feel good, learn about other cultures, meet some new people, whether it be as a consultant, project manager, engineer, technician, educator, journalist or even field worker (or something else). But, there's an important teaching here...some communities don't want to be 'helped' but given the urgency of the 'Climate Emergency', this would be in the minority of cases but should be respected.

I suggest if you're considering a biochar mission (eg.Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kilns - see the web page on this site for more information), do extensive background research and make the contacts eg. LinkedIn. Once a mission is teed up, before you go learn some of the National language (and local language once on site), count the financial beans with enough cash in reserve and have a go - there's a good chance you'll learn more from the locals than what you can share with them.

Make some new memories and take more risks! Enjoy that imperfect world...