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Biochar Explained
Biochar is the modern version of an ancient Pre-Columbian technology invented by native Amazonian peoples to enhance soil fertility. A form of charcoal, it is created by pyrolysis (burning in low oxygen conditions) of biomass: agricultural waste, dead trees, etc. The ancient source of biochar is called terra preta (prepared earth) in Brazil. The first thing to know about biochar is that it is a way of permanently removing CO2 greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. The carbon from biomass, when pyrolyzed, can remain in the soil for hundreds or thousands of years. We know this because some of the terra preta soils of the Amazon are 2000 years old. And these ancient soils are still so fertile after all this time that there is an industry in Brazil to collect these soils and put them in bags to sell as potting soil.
Biochar is the only true carbon *reductive* technology that exists. Other technologies that claim to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, like geoengineering, and traditional carbon capture and storage (CCS) are fatally flawed from a technical point of view, although it now appears that oil, coal, and mining companies are about to put 100's of billions of dollars into CCS that won't work (so they can make money taking carbon out of the earth and then make more money putting it back into the old mines). Other 'green' technologies, like solar and wind, merely reduce the amount of CO2 that goes in to the atmosphere. Biochar takes carbon out of the air and puts it in the soil, where it makes the soil fertile. So biochar is unique in its ability to help humanity solve the climate change problem by taking carbon *out* of the atmosphere.
But this just scratches the surface of what we know about what biochar can do. Biochar is the Swiss Army knife, or the "killer app" of climate solutions. It is the key to the New Carbon Economy. Here is a quick list of some applications:
1) Soil Fertility
Field tests by Biochar Fund in Cameroon
http://www.biocharfund.org
have demonstrated up to 220% yield increase in maize crops in degraded soil in one season with addition of biochar to the soil. Although it works in many different soil conditions, and possibly all, we know that biochar works especially well in degraded soils, and in the tropics. That is where the results are truly spectacular. Biochar Fund recently received a $300k grant from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai's organization for additional biochar projects in Kenya, after their spectacular results in Cameroon.
2) Farms & gardens
Biochar holds nitrogen and water. This means that farmers can use less water and less fertilizer. They can make biochar from their wastes and use it in their own fields without transportation. Different technologies are being developed that are optimized for different agricultural inputs, like rice husks, coconut shells, etc. Less fertilizer use also means:
3) Pollution prevention
Biochar prevents runoff of nitrogen into waterways, thus preventing human deaths (blue baby syndrome) and preventing the growth of "dead zones" from nitrogen-induced algae blooms in the ocean. Biochar may also be able to remediate other soil contaminant chemicals, though people in our Invasives subgroup know more about this than I do.
4) Invasive species control
It just so happens that the characteristic features of invasive species (like kudzu in the southern US, cat tails and striga in Africa, and water hyacinth in Africa and India) map almost exactly on to the list of most desirable characteristics for biochar production. Whichever invasive species you are dealing with in your country, this is what to do with them. The manager of our Invasives subgroup is a well-known expert who has compiled the evidence for this conclusion.
5) Reforestation
Consider the example of Haiti. We all know that Haiti is one of the most severely deforested places on earth. Look at an aerial photo of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic: green on one side, brown on the other. This is one of the main causes of the critical clean water situation in Haiti, which was already a huge problem before the quake. Biochar is ideal for smart, integrated agroforestry and reforestation programs. It will literally "change the earth."
There are many other things to mention, but I will conclude with:
6) Stoves
As you may know, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1.6 million people, mostly women and young children, die *every* *year* from smoke inhalation from traditional cookstoves. Biochar stoves are emission free and can solve this problem while creating biochar for fertile kitchen gardens, and some stoves can even create electricity for home lighting or cellphone charging.
Pyrolysis equipment exists in different sizes and many different types, from small and very cheap ($6-8 dollars, some may be less, and I think some can be made with local scrap) all the way to municipal scale.
This is why people in the Biochar Offsets group are so passionate about this emerging technology and why we started the Huntsville Project and Biochar Haiti. We believe that biochar can play a key role in the sanitation, health, and food security needs of people in developing countries, and globally. We want to help bring a new biochar industry to Haiti to restore the forests and make the soil fruitful for the people of Haiti, while creating jobs and income. We can take this model and apply it in any developing country.
You can find out more at the excellent website of the International Biochar Initiative:
http://www.biochar-international.org/
Victoria Kamsler
Chair of the Biochar Offsets Group
Chief Ethics Officer and Research Director
Greenfiniti
http://www.greenfiniti.com
LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a U.N. report warned on Monday. As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially. 1/31/2012 8:17:02 PM In order to solicit input from stakeholders worldwide on proposed clean cookstove standards, PCIA is hosting three standard setting webinars, the first of which was held today. Please consider participating in one of the upcoming webinars to learn more about the the voluntary, interim cookstove "Tiers of Performance” that we (PCIA) plan to finalize through the International Workshop Agreement. 1/26/2012 6:21:49 PM This being the UN-declared Year of Sustainable Energy for All, we hope policy-makers and all those pushing for clean fuels in the developing world will look into the eyes of this little girl and remember that solar and wind are not the only solutions. The world needs clean charcoal, too. 1/26/2012 5:27:58 AM We received the following notification from our friends at Legacy Foundation and are happy to pass it along. "Legacy Foundation is happy to announce the publication and availability of three new biomass briquette supporting manuals." 1/21/2012 3:10:25 PM "To achieve the objective of the large scale dissemination of effective biomass equipment, the improved cookstoves (and biomass fuel) supply chain actors need a strong network, professionalization of services and follow-up." -- Geres Survey 1/18/2012 11:05:03 PM A growing desire to explore non-CO2, GHG-emission-busting options opens the door for delivering efficient technologies and renewable fuels to fast growing parts of Africa and the world that are hungry for energy. This should be sweet music to the ears of The Charcoal Project supporters who believe wood energy can be compatible with environmental conservation, GHG emissions reduction, and a source of renewable energy for low-carbon economic growth. 1/17/2012 6:23:24 PM In the latest issue of its bulletin, the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air focuses on the fuel side of the improved cookstove equation with an in depth discussion on charcoal and briquettes. It provides examples of the use of briquettes as a sustainable alternative to charcoal in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and provides insight into the future of charcoal stoves with inputs from leading stove testers and developers. The bulletin also looks at the issue of sustainable charcoal production, and new research and development towards more efficient production methods and sustainable charcoal initiatives. We'd like to thank PCIA Partner Jean Kim Chaix, Director of The Charcoal Project, who served as our guest editor for this edition and provided support and guidance on Bulletin 29's overall content. 1/12/2012 11:09:50 PM A recent paper calls for immediate policy intervention around the Congo's woodfuel demand. Published in Cifor's brief, it says, "The Congolese government needs to immediately improve management of the sector, in collaboration with stakeholders. The national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme creates momentum for this." 12/30/2011 3:02:36 PM Four months ago we asked you to help us kickstart our renewable fuels and energy efficiency project in Uganda. And you did! We collected almost $6,500 for our project! This message is our progress report to you, our donors, our investors. 12/25/2011 4:12:37 PM Back when The Charcoal Project was a getting its web chops we covered what we thought was a fantastic idea from a startup company called BioLite. The idea was simple: produce a stove that can reduce emissions, cut down on fuel use while also charging a cell phones or power other small electronics. We're thrilled to see the company finally get some respect. Congratulations BioLite! 12/13/2011 7:55:58 PMThe Charcoal Project
2 - PCIA: Register for a Clean Cookstove Standard Development Webinar
3 - PHOTO ESSAY: How Manila’s slum-dwellers eek out a charcoal living
4 - New briquette-making manuals from Legacy Foundation
5 - GERES survey results: it’s about networks, professional services & follow-up
6 - NEWS: Clean cookstoves & better charcoal kilns: the new tools in the fight against Climate Change
7 - TCP and PCIA partner to publish charcoal & briquette bulletin
8 - PAPER: Congo’s woodfuel use needs urgent policy attention
9 - Rubaare: Project update in pictures
10 - A startup cookstove with a killer app gets a big boost1 - NEWS: World lacks enough food, fuel as population soars-UN
2 - PCIA: Register for a Clean Cookstove Standard Development Webinar
3 - PHOTO ESSAY: How Manila’s slum-dwellers eek out a charcoal living
4 - New briquette-making manuals from Legacy Foundation
5 - GERES survey results: it’s about networks, professional services & follow-up
6 - NEWS: Clean cookstoves & better charcoal kilns: the new tools in the fight against Climate Change
7 - TCP and PCIA partner to publish charcoal & briquette bulletin
8 - PAPER: Congo’s woodfuel use needs urgent policy attention
9 - Rubaare: Project update in pictures
10 - A startup cookstove with a killer app gets a big boost
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