Biochar may represent the single most important initiative for humanity's environmental future

November 7, 2009 by timbercommunity

Soil contains more carbon than all vegetation and the atmospherere combined. Biochar (charcoal from biomass) is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water.

Biochar may be the answer to many of today’s most pressing problems, including:

• Climate change from elevated CO2 emissions
• Reduced need for artificial fertilizers
• Soil infertility from pesticides and microbial destruction
• Renewable energy from non-fossil fuel sources
• Overflowing land fills
• Higher yield

Biochar also improves water quality and quantity by increasing soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant and crop utilization. More nutrients stay in the soil instead of leaching into groundwater and causing pollution.
Background
Terra preta - Amazonian dark earth - is the track after a long-vanished civilization. Intensive study of biochar-rich dark earths in the Amazon (terra preta), has led to a wider appreciation of biochar’s unique properties as a soil conditioner. Biochar is found in soils around the world as a result of vegetation fires and historic soil management practices.

Carbon dioxide and biochar
Biochar is of increasing interest because of concerns about climate change caused by emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG). The carbon in biochar resists degradation and can sequester carbon in soils for hundreds to thousands of years. A real boost to the method would be the day there is a workable emissions trading scheme for carbon dioxide.
Production of biochar
It is possible to make biochar from all sorts of biomass. Here are some examples:
- Wood chips
- Poop
- Bark
- Grass clippings
- Leaves

Critics
There are also critics against Biochar that many of the claims made for biochar don't stand up.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/24/george-monbiot-climate...

Sources
http://www.biochar-international.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
http://biocharmachine.com
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org