Black is the New Green
Black is the New Green
By Carl Zimmer
July-September 2010/ Vol. 11 No. 3
Discussion Questions
1. This article has to do with global warming and solutions for interrupting the carbon cycle to store more in the soil. To better understand the article one needs to answer these questions:
a. What causes the Earth’s climate to change? Is climate change natural? How have humans influenced climate in recent times? What role does carbon play in anthropogenic global climate change? What are some current sources of carbon in the atmosphere?
b. What is pyrolysis? Why does it not emit as much carbon into the atmosphere as regular burning?
c. How do plants exchange carbon with the atmosphere through respiration and photosynthesis?
d. What is meant by “climate mitigation” and “climate adaptation”?
2. What inspired Johannes Lehmann to investigate putting waste organic matter back into the soil? What natural history/cultural history observations did he make in the field that led him to develop a theory and testable hypotheses? In the larger sense, does science rely upon such qualitative observations in the field or is most of it done via experimentation?
3. Explain the production of biochar and how it can help with global warming and also with human health in the developing world. Be specific – what is biochar? Why does biochar reduce carbon emissions from biomass?
4. How can it help mitigate global climate change? What is it about pyrolysis that makes using it to cook with so much better for human health?
5. If ancient Amazonians were smart and could figure out how to produce terra preta and it took a Cornell scientist thousands of years later to understand it, why is our highly technological, scientifically advanced civilization so slow to adopt it? Along those lines, what happened to those ancient civilizations and is there more we can learn both from their successes and evident failures?
Websites for Further Information
- International Biochar Initiative: http://www.biochar-international.org/
- US Environmental Protection Agency website on Climate Change: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
- World Wildlife Fund site on the Amazon Rainforest: http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/amazon/
Biochar in the News
- UK government urged to evaluate biochar with trial schemes (Guardian, August 12, 2010): http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/12/biochar-uk-government-report
- Just one thing: green your plant soil (Good Morning America, August 26, 2010): http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/JustOneThing/green-plant-soil-thing/story?id=11480356
- Once-lowly charcoal emerges as ‘major tool’ for curbing carbon (New York Times, September 7, 2010): http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/07/07greenwire-once-lowly-charcoal-emerges-as-major-tool-for-c-4963.html
Peer-reviewed Literature (in addition to the citations listed in the article)
- Lal, R. et al. 2004. Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304:1623-1627.
- Lehmann, J. et al. 2006. Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—a review. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 11:403–427.
Key Concepts
- Global warming
- Climate change
- Biochar
- Charcoal
- Soil
- Carbon sequestration
Agriculture allowed our cultural accent and Agriculture will now prevent our descent.
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.
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration (= to 1 Ton CO2e) + Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels = to 1MWh exported electricity, 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 with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar.
Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come.
Microbes like to sit down when they eat.
By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders & Kingdoms of life.
( These oxidised surface charges; carbonyl. hydroxyl, carboxylic acids, and lactones or quinones, have as well a role as signaling substances towards bacteria, fungi and plants.)
This is what I try to get across to Farmers, as to how I feel about the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of penitence and thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the Soil Sink Bankers, once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all the way to it.
Unlike CCS which only reduces emissions, biochar systems draw down CO2 every energy cycle, closing a circle back to support the soil food web. The photosynthetic “capture” collectors are up and running, the “storage” sink is in operation just under our feet. Pyrolysis conversion plants are the only infrastructure we need to build out.
Recent NATURE STUDY;
Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v1/n5/full/ncomms1053.html
Not talked about in this otherwise comprehensive study are the climate and whole ecological implications of new , higher value, applications of chars.
First,
the in situ remediation of a vast variety of toxic agents in soils and sediments.
Biochar Sorption of Contaminants;
http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010/conference-agenda/agenda-overview/breakout-session-5/agriculture-forestry-soil-science-and-environment.html
Dr. Lima’s work; Specialized Characterization Methods for Biochar http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010/conference-agenda/agenda-overview/breakout-session-4/production-and-characterization.html
And at USDA;
The Ultimate Trash To Treasure: *ARS Research Turns Poultry Waste into Toxin-grabbing Char
http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/AR/archive/jul05/char0705.htm
Second,
the uses as a feed ration for livestock to reduce GHG emissions and increase disease resistance.
Third,
Recent work by C. Steiner showing a 52% reduction of NH3 loss when char is used as a composting accelerator. This will have profound value added consequences for the commercial composting industry by reduction of their GHG emissions and the sale of compost as a nitrogen fertilizer.
Since we have filled the air , filling the seas to full, Soil is the Only Beneficial place left.
Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.
WorldStoves in Haiti ; http://www.charcoalproject.org/2010/05/a-man-a-stove-a-mission/ and
The Biochar Fund http://biocharfund.org/ deserves your attention and support.
Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon
NSF Awards $1.6 million in grants;
BREAD: Biochar Inoculants for Enabling Smallholder Agriculture
http://iapnews.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/cornell-university-wins-biocharstove-research-grants/
Thanks for your efforts.
Erich
Erich J. Knight
Chairman; Markets and Business Review Committee
US BiocharConference, at Iowa State University, June 27-30
http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010/conference-agenda/agenda-overview.html
EcoTechnologies Group Technical Adviser
http://www.ecotechnologies.com/index.html
Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)
1047 Dave Barry Rd.
McGaheysville, VA. 22840
540 289 9750
Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list TP-REPP