Biochar
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of organic matter, which locks away carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. It is beneficial for soil health, enhancing water retention, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers, and promoting plant growth. Additionally, biochar helps mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon and producing clean energy byproducts.
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What is Biochar?
Biochar is the charred material that is produced when organic matter, usually plants, undergo a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is done by heating substances to very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process causes the chemical bonds in the plant material to break and reform into stronger bonds. This means that biochar is made of mostly carbon, and doesn’t decompose as easily as a normal plant would. Biochar can be made from a variety of organic material, including wood, waste from agriculture or food production, sewage sludge, and even manure.
How does it remove carbon?
Plants use photosynthesis in order to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their tissue. When plants die, microbes in the soil start to decompose the plant tissue, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere in a process called respiration. This is a natural cycle, but it occurs very quickly (for planet Earth timescales), about 25 years. Instead, if dead plants are converted to biochar and applied to soils, it is very difficult for the microbes to respire. This means carbon in biochar is locked away for more time, from hundreds to thousands of years. In fact, biochar has been found in Amazonian soils dating back 2,000 years! Finally, the pyrolysis process also creates a biological oil and gas as byproducts, which can be further used as clean energy in place of fossil fuels.
Social benefits!
After biochar is made, it is usually applied to agricultural soils. Here it has many benefits that improve the health of the soil, both physically and chemically. Most importantly, biochar helps soil to retain moisture, which means it will be more resistant to droughts in a warming climate. Because biochar improves soil, there is also less need for artificial fertilizer, which is a big contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, plants grown in soil and biochar have increased growth and photosynthesis, capturing even more carbon from the atmosphere: a real win-win situation!
What is Biochar?
Biochar is the charred material that is produced when organic matter, usually plants, undergo a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is done by heating substances to very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process causes the chemical bonds in the plant material to break and reform into stronger bonds. This means that biochar is made of mostly carbon, and doesn’t decompose as easily as a normal plant would. Biochar can be made from a variety of organic material, including wood, waste from agriculture or food production, sewage sludge, and even manure.
How does it remove carbon?
Plants use photosynthesis in order to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their tissue. When plants die, microbes in the soil start to decompose the plant tissue, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere in a process called respiration. This is a natural cycle, but it occurs very quickly (for planet Earth timescales), about 25 years. Instead, if dead plants are converted to biochar and applied to soils, it is very difficult for the microbes to respire. This means carbon in biochar is locked away for more time, from hundreds to thousands of years. In fact, biochar has been found in Amazonian soils dating back 2,000 years! Finally, the pyrolysis process also creates a biological oil and gas as byproducts, which can be further used as clean energy in place of fossil fuels.
Social benefits!
After biochar is made, it is usually applied to agricultural soils. Here it has many benefits that improve the health of the soil, both physically and chemically. Most importantly, biochar helps soil to retain moisture, which means it will be more resistant to droughts in a warming climate. Because biochar improves soil, there is also less need for artificial fertilizer, which is a big contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, plants grown in soil and biochar have increased growth and photosynthesis, capturing even more carbon from the atmosphere: a real win-win situation!
What is Biochar?
Biochar is the charred material that is produced when organic matter, usually plants, undergo a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is done by heating substances to very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process causes the chemical bonds in the plant material to break and reform into stronger bonds. This means that biochar is made of mostly carbon, and doesn’t decompose as easily as a normal plant would. Biochar can be made from a variety of organic material, including wood, waste from agriculture or food production, sewage sludge, and even manure.
How does it remove carbon?
Plants use photosynthesis in order to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their tissue. When plants die, microbes in the soil start to decompose the plant tissue, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere in a process called respiration. This is a natural cycle, but it occurs very quickly (for planet Earth timescales), about 25 years. Instead, if dead plants are converted to biochar and applied to soils, it is very difficult for the microbes to respire. This means carbon in biochar is locked away for more time, from hundreds to thousands of years. In fact, biochar has been found in Amazonian soils dating back 2,000 years! Finally, the pyrolysis process also creates a biological oil and gas as byproducts, which can be further used as clean energy in place of fossil fuels.
Social benefits!
After biochar is made, it is usually applied to agricultural soils. Here it has many benefits that improve the health of the soil, both physically and chemically. Most importantly, biochar helps soil to retain moisture, which means it will be more resistant to droughts in a warming climate. Because biochar improves soil, there is also less need for artificial fertilizer, which is a big contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, plants grown in soil and biochar have increased growth and photosynthesis, capturing even more carbon from the atmosphere: a real win-win situation!
What is Biochar?
Biochar is the charred material that is produced when organic matter, usually plants, undergo a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is done by heating substances to very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process causes the chemical bonds in the plant material to break and reform into stronger bonds. This means that biochar is made of mostly carbon, and doesn’t decompose as easily as a normal plant would. Biochar can be made from a variety of organic material, including wood, waste from agriculture or food production, sewage sludge, and even manure.
How does it remove carbon?
Plants use photosynthesis in order to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their tissue. When plants die, microbes in the soil start to decompose the plant tissue, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere in a process called respiration. This is a natural cycle, but it occurs very quickly (for planet Earth timescales), about 25 years. Instead, if dead plants are converted to biochar and applied to soils, it is very difficult for the microbes to respire. This means carbon in biochar is locked away for more time, from hundreds to thousands of years. In fact, biochar has been found in Amazonian soils dating back 2,000 years! Finally, the pyrolysis process also creates a biological oil and gas as byproducts, which can be further used as clean energy in place of fossil fuels.
Social benefits!
After biochar is made, it is usually applied to agricultural soils. Here it has many benefits that improve the health of the soil, both physically and chemically. Most importantly, biochar helps soil to retain moisture, which means it will be more resistant to droughts in a warming climate. Because biochar improves soil, there is also less need for artificial fertilizer, which is a big contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, plants grown in soil and biochar have increased growth and photosynthesis, capturing even more carbon from the atmosphere: a real win-win situation!
