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    <description><![CDATA[The Ithaka Journal started in 2008 to accompany our reflections and projects about climate farming and ecosystem restoration. It witnessed the first articles about biochar field trials, the first biochar production in Europe, the development of the European Biochar Certificate, and the spawn of the Kon-Tiki. It coined the 55 uses of biochar, presented the first biochar buildings, designed carbon futures and the certification of the C-sink economy. The Ithaka Journal is an archive and a legacy and navigates more than ever into unknown territories. Global cooling, carbon cycling, nanocarbon materials, and coffee from Nepal.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Our latest articles]]></description>
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      <title>A Journey Beyond the Universe - and Language:From AI to Infinity and Back</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/243-from-ai-to-infinity-and-back</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Every book that will ever be written already exists in a finite AI-library. So does every biography of every person who has lived or ever will live. The mathematics that proves it starts with how large language models codify what can be said &mdash; and ends where Borges, Wittgenstein, and the theology of omniscience converge on a single number.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 21:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>How AI-assisted programming is (not) just another step in human-machine communication:The Last Syntax</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/242-the-last-syntax</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
Talking to machines started with binary code. Later, coded computer languages like Basic and Pascal were interpreted by the computer so that the machine could understand. Python and Java got closer to human language but were still code. Today, we speak and the machine writes the code itself. Sixty years of programming history show that this is not the disruption it appears to be &mdash; but its consequences reach far beyond software, it opens the scientific method to the many. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 08:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/242-the-last-syntax</guid>
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      <title>Intergenerational Pact for the Planet</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/235-intergenerational-pact-for-the-planet</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We often speak of our responsibility to leave a livable environment and society for future generations. However, we are equally responsible for carrying forward the knowledge and skills of earlier generations. And in turn, future generations will be responsible for continuing the work we have begun and correcting our mistakes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 27 Apr 2025 11:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/235-intergenerational-pact-for-the-planet</guid>
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      <title>The Plastic Hope</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/236-the-plastic-hope</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The projected growth of the plastics industry would require the carbon from nearly half of today's crude oil production. This alone would make all climate targets unattainable. But there is another way. Instead of sourcing it from fossil sources, the necessary carbon can also be drawn down from the atmosphere. This would not only help to save the climate but also make nations more independent of raw material imports.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 14:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>How Climate Marketing Kills Biochar</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/234-how-climate-marketing-kills-biochar</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Does it make a difference for the climate if I compensate my annual 10 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by purchasing 5 tonnes of biochar and applying them to one hectare of our vineyards? Or better yet, should I offset all 80 tonnes produced by the whole family &mdash; including the grandparents? That would amount to 40 tonnes of biochar. Every year! At current prices, that would amount to more than &euro;40,000 annually &mdash; or &euro;2 million over 50 years.
&nbsp;]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/234-how-climate-marketing-kills-biochar</guid>
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      <title>Put Polluting Industry Off-Earth</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/231-put-polluting-industry-off-earth</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This one&rsquo;s worth watching: Jeff Bezos, speaking on stage at a New York Times event, explains how pleased he is about the deregulation ushered in by the new U.S. administration&mdash;and how, despite all previous regulatory efforts, life on Earth today is better than in any prior era of human history.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/231-put-polluting-industry-off-earth</guid>
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      <title>55 Uses of Biochar</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/143-55-uses-of-biochar</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Initially only used in agriculture, the range of uses for biochar now covers a wide range of different fields, giving this plant-based raw material the chance to make the most of its positive properties. Wherever biochar is specifically used even for industrial purposes, the carbon taken from the atmosphere in the form of CO2 can be stored for long periods or at least used to replace fossil carbon sources.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 29 Dec 2012 11:24:37 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/143-55-uses-of-biochar</guid>
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      <title>Kon-Tiki - the democratization of biochar production</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/151-kon-tiki-the-democratization-of-biochar-production</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A simple but ingenious invention finally allows each farmer and gardener, everywhere in the world, to produce for themselves a sufficient quantity of high quality biochar. With reasonable investment and some know-how of the charmaker’s craft, farmers can produce in one afternoon a cubic meter of high quality biochar. This democratization of biochar production will be a key strategy to closing the agricultural production loop for small farmers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2014 00:13:03 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/151-kon-tiki-the-democratization-of-biochar-production</guid>
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      <title>The use of biochar as building material - cities as carbon sinks</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/149-the-use-of-biochar-as-building-material-cities-as-carbon-sinks</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Biochar, a highly porous material produced from plant waste, is mostly used in agriculture as a soil conditioner, in livestock farming as a feed supplement, and in metalworking as a reducing agent. It can also be used for cleaning "grey water", as an absorber in sports clothing, in batteries and many other uses (see 55 Uses of Biochar). The latest developments at the Ithaka Institute are now focusing on its use as a building material. Why? As well as having excellent insulating properties, improving air quality, being able to soak up moisture and protect from radiation, biochar also allows buildings to be turned into carbon sinks. Every tonne of biochar used in a building's envelope means that the equivalent of more or less one tonne of CO2 is prevented from re-entering the atmosphere.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/149-the-use-of-biochar-as-building-material-cities-as-carbon-sinks</guid>
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      <title>Vines take up yeasts from soil and transport them through the vine to the stem and skins of grapes</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/89-vines-take-up-yeasts-from-soil-and-transport-them-through-the-vine-to-the-stem-and-skins-of-grapes</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In a vineyard field experiment it was demonstrated that Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast can be adsorbed from the soil by the roots of Vitis vinifera subs. vinifera and transported via vine to the stems and surface of the grapes. To exclude any extrinsic yeast contamination, the ripening grapes were sterilized and wrapped in plastic bags. Eleven active dried yeasts from different companies were then spread onto the vineyard soil. At four different time points, grape samples were taken under sterile conditions, crushed, and fermented without further inoculation. The yeasts in the fermented musts were characterized by PCR fingerprinting using the ITS region, testing whether they belonged to the Saccharomyces species. Then a microsatellite PCR was carried out with S.cerevisiae to demonstrate that these yeasts in the fermented must were from the same yeasts spread on the vineyard soil. The results showed that four of the eleven yeasts spread in the vineyard were transported via the vines onto the skin of the grapes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2015 10:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/89-vines-take-up-yeasts-from-soil-and-transport-them-through-the-vine-to-the-stem-and-skins-of-grapes</guid>
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      <title>Biochar as Building Material for Optimal Indoor Climate</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/145-biochar-as-building-material-for-optimal-indoor-climate</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The effect a wine cellar's climate has on the quality and complexity of a wine has up to now been greatly underestimated. Only now are we beginning to realise that decisive factors for a good wine are not just temperature, but also humidity. As a result, the Delinat Institute has developed a new form of plaster made of biochar and clay, with which an optimal cellar climate for the production of natural wines can be achieved.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:40:16 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/145-biochar-as-building-material-for-optimal-indoor-climate</guid>
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      <title>The use of biochar in cattle farming</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/141-the-use-of-biochar-in-cattle-farming</link>
      <description><![CDATA[90% of the biochar produced in Europe is used in livestock farming. Whether mixed with feed, added to litter or used in the treatment of slurry, the positive effect of biochar very quickly becomes apparent. The health - and consequently the well-being - of the livestock improve within just a short space of time. As regards nasty smells and nutrient losses, the use of biochar could even herald a new age of livestock farming, closing agricultural cycles of organic matter.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:35:08 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/141-the-use-of-biochar-in-cattle-farming</guid>
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      <title>Building earthquake resistant clay houses</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/217-building-earthquake-resistant-clay-houses</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Many thousands of clay houses crumbled during the recent earthquakes in Nepal. But that did not happen because of insufficient strength of the clay as a building material, but rather because basic construction rules were disregarded. Gernot Minke, an international expert on clay building, explains in this interview how to build clay houses that resist earthquakes even better than many concrete buildings. He also describes what construction errors should be avoided to make sure your house will keep you safe when the earth starts to shake again in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan or anywhere in the world.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2015 07:43:21 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/217-building-earthquake-resistant-clay-houses</guid>
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      <title>Biochar Paper – elevating biochar from novelty to ubiquity </title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/152-biochar-paper-elevating-biochar-from-novelty-to-ubiquity</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pack your fruits and vegetables in a biochar box, double their shelf life then compost the boxes with the leftovers and make Terra Preta in your backyard. Biochar paper and cardboard might become the most influential invention to mitigate climate change while reducing organic residues sent to landfills.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2015 07:20:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/152-biochar-paper-elevating-biochar-from-novelty-to-ubiquity</guid>
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      <title>Justus von Liebig and the Birth of Modern Biochar </title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/148-justus-von-liebig-and-the-birth-of-modern-biochar</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Biochar is one of the oldest soil amendments in the history of agriculture. However, with the advent of modern agro-chemistry, the agronomic value of biochar got rapidly into oblivion. Only lately, when biochar got into focus as climate mitigation strategy, it’s function as soil amendment and nutrient carrier was rediscovered. All the more its fascinating to see that at the onset of modern agricultural chemistry in the 19th century, the use of charcoal was still and already known as key method to restore carbon to soil as well as for plant and soil nutrient cycling.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 17 Aug 2013 09:27:48 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/148-justus-von-liebig-and-the-birth-of-modern-biochar</guid>
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      <title>Biochar in poultry farming</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/133-biochar-in-poultry-farming</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The poultry industry is struggling more and more with livestock disease. Often this can be traced back to microbial pathogens and ammonia in the litter. The addition of highly porous biochar can serve to reduce toxic ammonia pollution in the coops and regulate the moisture level of the litter. The biting coop odour and foot pad dermatitis in the poultry can be prevented within just a few days. If biochar is included in the feed, toxins can be deactivated already in the digestive system. The intestinal flora is positively activated, and the vitality of the animals improves rapidly and markedly.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:32:09 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/133-biochar-in-poultry-farming</guid>
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      <title>Terra Preta - Model of a Cultural Technique</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/131-terra-preta-model-of-a-cultural-technique</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The secret of Terra Preta lies not solely in its use of biochar, but rather in a societal system that has internalized the importance of closed nutrient cycles in nature. Only by means of conscious recycling of all accumulating waste matter could the otherwise nutrient poor tropical soils allow for population densities which exceed present-day Bangladesh, the Netherlands or Japan.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:34:13 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/131-terra-preta-model-of-a-cultural-technique</guid>
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      <title>Biochar - a key technology for the planet</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/140-biochar-a-key-technology-for-the-planet</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The current imbalance in the world's carbon and nitrogen cycle is not just the main cause of climate change, but also a direct threat to ecosystems through eutrophication, desertification and a decline in biodiversity. Re-balancing through regularly recycling organic material with its carbon, nitrogen and phosphor content is needed. Biochar has the potential to play a key role, as it not only converts the carbon found in a wide range of biomasses into a stable form, but also binds volatile nutrients from biomass residues, thereby recycling them for agricultural use. Though still "early days" for biochar, the prospects for its use are good, whether in crop or livestock farming or in industry.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 29 Sep 2012 07:25:53 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/140-biochar-a-key-technology-for-the-planet</guid>
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      <title>Herbicides found in Human Urine</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/214-herbicides-found-in-human-urine</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Glyphosate is the main active substance used in most commercial herbicides. It poisons not only plants, but also animals and humans. When testing for glyphosate contamination in an urban population, a German university found significant contamination in all urine samples with levels 5 to 20 times above the legal limit for drinking water.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:19:47 +0000</pubDate>
      <guid>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/214-herbicides-found-in-human-urine</guid>
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      <title>Biochar in European Viticulture: Results of the Season 2011</title>
      <link>https://www.ithaka-journal.net/en/ct/132-biochar-in-european-viticulture-results-of-the-season-2011</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2011, several new field-scale experiments with biochar in vineyards were set up by the Delinat Institute. In addition to the institute's own site in Valais (Switzerland), long-term field experiments were also undertaken in three representative vineyards in France, Spain and Italy. The primary aim was to investigate the influence of biochar on vine growth and grape quality under various climatic and soil conditions. An analysis of preliminary results reveals a mixed picture and underlines the importance of biological and mineral activation of biochar.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:46:24 +0000</pubDate>
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