SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN: REDUCE RISK AND REAP THE REWARD

Decribe your idea

A SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM FOR MANAGING FOREST/WOODLAND HEALTH & OTHER BIOMASS. LOW TECH, PRODUCING A VALUABLE BYPRODUCT KNOWN AS "BIOCHAR" - A SPECIAL FORM OF CHARCOAL THAT NOURISHES/REBUILDS SOIL & SEQUESTERS CARBON: EVALUATE/SELECT private/public forests/wooded areas at risk from fire and/or are ecologically imbalanced due to excessive brush, tree downage, crowding or disease TRAIN/ENGAGE workers to process excess biomass into biochar GATHERERS work with biological woodsmen to selectively "harvest" biomass HORSE TEAMS extract biomass; environmentally respectful, less soil compression/forest damage, reach areas inaccessible to vehicles PROCESSORS cut/chip biomass for conversion MOBILE CONVERTER UNITS on-site "bake" biomass DISTRIBUTE biochar

Why do you want to share your idea with TEDxUChicago in 2013?

MY PASSION FOR/BELIEF IN THIS CONCEPT. When we design using systems thinking, we re-invent the way we manufacture products, practice agriculture, generate energy & provide infrastructure. Safely. Intelligently. Regeneratively.

This idea can be implemented & scaled to any size community virtually anywhere in the world, from a city park or single farm to vast forest tracts. Costs are modest relative to impact and productivity. It creates jobs/training—from unskilled laborers to science researchers— regenerates soils & forests and integrates ancient practices with 21st century engineering.

It’s a stimulus for community self-sufficiency and localized economy while managing risk and optimizing resource stewardship.

How will you share your idea in a creative way?

Will use a ppt presentation that provides titular prompts while speaking and visuals to illustrate/explain the concept. I'd like to find an aerial video of forest fire to demonstrate the devastation of intense burn fires that result from poor forest health/management. Will select a powerful, beautiful video clip (with narrative) of a horse team in action. Though I'd love to bring one of the workhorses on stage, it might get a bit messy.... I also want to demonstrate that biomass is a low emissions fuel when used in small biochar stoves adapted for use by villagers for cooking. The take away: biochar produced from these two systems enriches soil, protecting and enhancing our means to produce more nutritious food regeneratively.

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