9047: Re: 9046: 9020: braking and breaking the charcoal cycle in Haiti (fw (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Sara Pilling <spilling@erols.com>

to Krista who asked about Bamboo as a viable alternative to
hardwood. Bamboo is a monocot, as opposed to [most] trees that
are dicots. i.e., they have bark, cambian layer and pith [the
stuff that makes the charcoal]. My guess is that unless the
bamboo was ground and became part od\f this biomass, as it's all
soft pith it wouldn't give off the heat required to boil water.
As it is, boiling water over harcoal can be a lo-o-o-o-ong
process!!!

I've JUST returned from Haiti - will attempt this evening to
write some reflection. It was NICE to meet another Corbeteer this
trip - Mary Ellen Sanuk [of Traverse City MI] and I spent most of
a week together in P-au-P.

more later,

Sara Pilling
Scholarship Soley