Universal Black Carbon

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When I first heard about ceramic knives, I couldn't believe it. I know that ceramic statues that fall shatter into many pieces. Why would a ceramic knife be any different? Boy was I wrong. They are much stronger than I thought.

Ceramic knives are made out of zirconium oxide. They aren't metallic whatsoever and have a flat, off-white to bright white color. Their composition is much harder than steel. Actually, they're second only to diamonds, which are the hardest mineral of all. Isn't that something?

There is another class of ceramic knives that have black blades. These blades start out as white zirconium oxide. With an additional firing process called sintering, they are converted into black zirconium carbide. This process gives the blades the advantage of being even tougher than before. Now they are the strongest knives out there.

There are definite advantages of a ceramic knife over a steel knife.

- Edge Longevity. Because they are harder than steel knives, they can hold a sharp edge much longer. Generally, most ceramic knives can hold their edge for months if used correctly.

- Easy Use. Because they hold their edges longer, they are easier to use than steel knives. Less sharpening is required. They're also much lighter in weight than steel knives.

- Wear Resistance. Ceramic knives do not stain or rust. They will not become discolored by food acids.

- Chemically non-reactive. You needn't worry over whether or not your food will taste or smell like metal. Isn't that great?

- Simple To Clean. Ceramic knives are non-stick. It isn't ever necessary to use special cleaners or abrasives to get them clean.

Just as there are advantages, there are a few pretty important disadvantages to using ceramic knives.

- Expensive. They are usually more costly than steel knives. This is because zirconium oxide is a fairly advanced material and costs more than steel. In addition, imported ceramic knives, as most of them are, have a high import tax that adds to their price tag.

- Edge Fragility. Quality ceramic knives are not likely to shatter when dropped. They are, however, likely to gain a chipped edge or a broken tip. Even though they are very strong, their edges are quite fragile. Cutting bone or anything of similar hardness, then, is out of the question.

- Breakable Blades. If you use your ceramic knife as a prying tool, you've got a very good chance of snapping the blade at the handle. Just don't do it. While your knife isn't meant for prying, the fact that the blade could actually snap in two when strong pressure is applied leaves room for concern. Use it only for cutting.

All in all, you are advised not to sharpen ceramic knives. When they're purchased, customers are advised to bring their knives back to the manufacturer when they need to be sharpened. If that isn't possible, they're advised to bring their knives to a machine shop.

Sharpening a ceramic knife is not the same as sharpening a steel knife. It is a whole new animal. You've really got to already be a skilled sharpener. However, with good skill and the right tools, you really could sharpen them yourself.

Ceramic knives are truly amazing. They are highly efficient. Usability may be limited, but where you can use it, watch out. They are quite extraordinary.

Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to learn about

- Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them

- How to Sharpen Ceramic Knives, Tests for Sharpness, Steeling and more

- Sharpening Other Edges (i.e. Lawn Mower Blades, Chain Saws, Gardening Tools, Axes)

Find it here at http://www.MakeKnivesSharp.com.

Wood Smoke/black Carbon Soot: a Major Cause of Global Warming

In the frenzied search for solutions to the global warming crisis, climatologists, policy makers and other concerned environmentalists have overlooked one of the leading causes of rising temperatures around the globe—soot---the black residue that coats fireplaces and darkens vehicle exhaust.  Black carbon soot may in fact be the second largest contributor to global warming next to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

According to Stanford environmental engineering Professor Mark Z. Jacobson, “Soot, or black carbon, may be responsible for 15 to 30 percent of global warming, yet it is not even considered in any of the discussions about controlling climate change.” (“Nature”, ScienceDaily, Feb. 9, 2001).  Jacobson also observed that human beings produce most of the soot particles that pollute the atmosphere.  He maintains that soot consists primarily of elemental carbon and that 90 percent of it comes from the consumption of fossil fuels (particularly coal, diesel fuel, jet fuel, natural gas, kerosene) and the burning of wood and other biomass.  Jacobson also claims that a worldwide reduction in soot emissions and controlling biomass burning could quell the alarming pace of global warming and also reduce our reliance on soot-producing fuels. ( http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010208075206.htm.)

Besides its impact on global warming, soot is bad for your health.  The World Health Organization reports that approximately 2.7 million people die each year from air pollution and that reduction of wood and other biomass burning would mitigate global warming and would also save lives and improve people’s health.  

Other studies have dispelled the myth that burning wood and other biomass is “green or carbon neutral” and that the fine particulates emitted during the combustion process actually hasten climate change. (www.burningissues.org under both “Science” and “Global Warming” headings).

The warming effect of black carbon soot is far greater than previously estimated

Atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of Iowa chemical engineer Greg Carmichael found that “black carbon soot, from burning wood and other biomass, cooking with solid fuels, and diesel exhaust has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates.” (Nature Geoscience 1, 221-227 (March 24, 2008).  They calculated that soot and other forms of black carbon particulates may represent as much as 60 percent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide and their findings correlated with similar studies from Stanford, Caltech, and NASA.

A simplified explanation for the warming effect is that wood smoke’s fine particulates thin clouds. And as total airborne particulates increase, cloud cover decreases, allowing more sunlight to reach the earth.  According to Ramanathan, approximately 35 percent of black carbon in the global atmosphere comes from China and India.  Yet per capita emissions of black carbon soot from the United States and some European countries is still comparable to those from Asia.  Ramanathan's research also found that the warming effects of black carbon smog appear to be accelerating the melt of Himalayan glaciers, leading to early drying of a major source of drinking water for billions of people throughout Asia.

 

The International Global Panel on Climate Change (IGPCC) agreed that black carbon soot is a major contributor to global warming

The 2007 Nobel-winning IGPCC panel of approximately two thousand scientists concluded that black carbon soot has a dire atmospheric warming effect.  This was significant because soot had previously been unaddressed as a major contributor to global warming.  Nor had the amplification of black carbon’s warming effect previously been taken into account when mixed with other aerosols, creating additional secondary fine particulates.

Studies of fine particulates from wood smoke in various communities

An EPA study cites that “In some neighborhoods, on some days, 90% of the particle pollution is from residential wood burning.” (Jane Koenig and Timothy Larson, A Summary of Emissions Characterization and Non-Cancer Respiratory Effects of Wood Smoke, USEPA DOC #453/R-93-036,1-919-541-0888).

A study in two San Jose, California locations showed that wood smoke pollution was 4.4 times that of gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles. (“A Comparison of Source Apportionments of Fine Particulate Matter at Two San Jose, CA Locations,” from San Jose Speciation Trends Network.)

The next step

Because the urgency of reducing black carbon emissions cannot be overstated, reducing soot from wood smoke would offer nearly instant benefits in improving atmospheric conditions in the United States.  It would also offer immediate societal and health benefits.  This would facilitate political and regulatory momentum towards mitigation of black carbon emissions.

It is urgent to advance public awareness of wood smoke’s crucial role in global warming with education and policy changes.

For those interested in more scientific and educational data about wood smoke, see www.burningissues.org. The Burning Issues site was founded in 1988 as a special particulate pollution project of the Bay Area Loma Prieta/Silicon Valley Chapter of the Sierra Club.

About the Author

Julie Mellum is a Minneapolis realtor and president of Take Back the Air, an environmental organization focusing on the two most overlooked sources of pollution in our communities--wood smoke and chemical fragrances. She is the Midwest Diretor of Clean Air Revival, www.burningissues.org, a nonprofit online organization providing wood smoke scientific information. Julie is an enviromental activist with a focus on education and legislative changes for a healthier world.

What is all the discussion about Obama or Clinton supporters voting for McCain?

Someone explain this to me...

Their policies are 95% similar. These candidates are carbon copies of each other on policy issues. Heck they spend 30 minutes each debate talking about the smallest differences in their universal health care ideas. They both want the end of the Iraq war. They both are prominent liberals.

Are you really going to change your ideals because of someone's personality? I thought this was the party to not judge people for being gay, black, or poor. Yet your so bitter that your candidate loses that you're going to completely switch your ideals and what you stand for?

I'm just not sure I buy it.
But if you want to completely change what you stand for so that your own ideals aren't put into effect. That's like admiting you didn't really care about the policies to begin with.

Obviously this does not apply to republicans. So if you are, save your "McCain 08 he's a great guy" posts for another thread.

both sides feel they are being slighted. Hillary supporters feel that votes are being unfairly thrown out from Florida and Michigan and she has the popular vote. Obama supporters feel that he has the popular vote and if Hillary gets the nod then it was stolen. It boils down to they feel disenfranchised from the Democratic Party - therefore, both sides say they will stay home or vote for McCain.

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