Biochar - a type of charcoal produced by burning biological material under low-oxygen conditions, stores carbon for decades, thus keeping it out of the atmosphere.
Credit: BEST Energies
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Plans for large-scale use
These promising observations have prompted scientists to look closely at how biochar could be used in Australia. Both Krull and Cowie say that there's still much research to be done to get the most out of biochar, with the activity of biochar made from different feedstocks and the response of different crops and soil types a particular concern.
However, some growers are already importing biochar from the Philippines, Cowie says, and some Australian government agencies are also showing interest.
Government agencies in New South Wales have already been scouting out suitable sites for commercial-scale pyrolysis plants, Cowie says, and have identified "half a dozen locations" where a plant could be supplied with 50,000 tonnes of biomass a year, the amount of feedstock a commercial plant could burn.
Locating pyrolysis plants close to the biomass supply is important, Cowie says, because transporting the feedstock too far could release more emissions than the biochar sequesters.
"We've determined that a transport distance of maybe a couple of hundred kilometres to such a plant would be reasonable," Cowie said.
Just using material already available, like urban green waste, sawmill residues and crop waste, biochar could cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by two per cent, or 11.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, Cowie says.
That's equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions generated by 400,000 Australians.
"[Even] using conservative assumptions…biochar does have a substantial greenhouse mitigation benefit," Cowie says.
However, Cowie points out that while two per cent is an important contribution to climate mitigation, biochar can't offset the emissions caused by our current standard of living.
"It's certainly not going to stop us needing to reduce our fossil fuel emissions," she warns.
Comments
The world is a great place, but it is falling apart and we all are responsable for this. Be responsable now and try to make it better.
Biochar, one of the newest option can contribuate to atmospheric CO2 reduction. Find out more:
http://www.biochar-books.com
The Biochar Revolution is exactly what it says !
Biochar - a solution to climate change
Yes, obviously it change the climate and good for energy source.
Its an interesting concept and would be a quick fix to remove CO2 and help tackle climate change, but shouldnt we really be focusing on ways of cutting down our emission rather than coming up with elaborate processes to remove the CO2 that we are pumping out.
It may only be 2% but every little bit counts and according to the authors of Climate Code Red, David Spratt and Philip Sutton, we need to not only reduce our emissions drastically but also sequester carbon and possibly even artificially cool the atmosphere.
James Tilbury
Director
Carbon Counters
Biochar Soil Technology.....Husbandry of whole new orders of life
Biotic Carbon, the carbon transformed by life, should never be combusted, oxidized and destroyed. It deserves more respect, reverence even, and understanding to use it back to the soil where 2/3 of excess atmospheric carbon originally came from.
We all know we are carbon-centered life, we seldom think about the complex web of recycled bio-carbon which is the true center of life. A cradle to cradle, mutually co-evolved biosphere reaching into every crack and crevice on Earth.
It's hard for most to revere microbes and fungus, but from our toes to our gums (onward), their balanced ecology is our health. The greater earth and soils are just as dependent, at much longer time scales. Our farming for over 10,000 years has been responsible for 2/3rds of our excess greenhouse gases. This soil carbon, converted to carbon dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide began a slow stable warming that now accelerates with burning of fossil fuel.
Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back our soil carbon,
Biochar allows the soil food web to build much more recalcitrant organic carbon, ( living biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the carbon in the biochar.
Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth, TP), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!
Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.
Biochar viewed as soil Infrastructure; The old saw, "Feed the Soil Not the Plants" becomes "Feed, Cloth and House the Soil, utilities included !". Free Carbon Condominiums, build it and they will come.
As one microbologist said on the TP list; "Microbes like to sit down when they eat". By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders of life.
Senator / Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm bill,
Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage.
NASA's Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central technology for carbon negative energy systems.
The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils; Cornell, ISU, U of H, U of GA, Virginia Tech, JMU, New Zealand and Australia.
Glomalin's role in soil tilth, fertility & basis for the soil food web in Terra Preta soils.
UNCCD Submission to Climate Change/UNFCCC AWG-LCA 5
"Account carbon contained in soils and the importance of biochar (charcoal) in replenishing soil carbon pools, restoring soil fertility and enhancing the sequestration of CO2."
This new Congressional Research Service report (by analyst Kelsi Bracmort) is the best short summary I have seen so far - both technical and policy oriented.
Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?
This is a Nano technology for the soil that represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.
Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.
Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting;
Most all this work corroborates char soil dynamics we have seen so far . The soil GHG emissions work showing increased CO2 , also speculates that this CO2 has to get through the hungry plants above before becoming a GHG.
The SOM, MYC& Microbes, N2O (soil structure), CH4 , nutrient holding , Nitrogen shock, humic compound conditioning, absorbing of herbicides all pretty much what we expected to hear.
Also: EcoTechnologies is planning for many collaborations ; NC State, U. of Leeds, Cardiff U. Rice U. JMU, U.of H. and at USDA with Dr.Jeffrey Novak who is coordinating ARS Biochar research. This Coordinated effort will speed implementation by avoiding unneeded repetition and building established work in a wide variety of soils and climates.
Hopefully all the Biochar companies will coordinate with Dr. Jeff Novak's soils work
I spoke with Jon Nilsson of the CarbonChar Group, in their third year of field trials. He said the 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 - 5 cups (2 - 5%) "Biochar+" per cubic foot of growing medium.
Erich J. Knight
Shenandoah Gardens
540 289 9750