last edited 11/13/2022 – presentations/recent links and below more resources.
November 13, 2022, Whidbey Camano Land Trust (WCLT), Keystone presentation and 2 kiln demonstration flame-cap kiln burn:
- The Case for Biochar PPTX: click here clicking here will download the pptx file
- The Case for Biochar PDF: click here – will open in new tab
- 2 burner TLUD-Plancha Stove video link within slide 26
- BIOCHAR FIXES CARBON: https://wilsonbiochar.com/blog/f/biochar-fixes-carbon
May 16, 2021: UU DRAWDOWN INITIATIVE Presentation links:
- THE CASE FOR BIOCHAR: CLICK HERE
- 8 SLIDE SUMMARY FROM Kathleen Draper: CLICK HERE
- Jeanne Nightingale’s Cuban Solution: CLICK HERE
- Jeanne Nightingale’s Biochar background sheet: CLICK HERE
- Resources compiled by Gary Piazzon: click here
November 2020:
- November 10, 12, 17 19 – Starts tomorrow 11/10/2020 – TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS Cornell Cooperative extension click here
- Biochar Basics
- The Science behind Biochar
- Ornamental Nursery applications
- Landscape applications
- November 17th Webinar: the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy for a webinar on biochar: what it is, how it’s made, and its role in carbon removal RSVP Here
- Panelists: Johannes Lehmann, professor at Cornell University; Darko Matovic, professor at Queen’s University; Kathleen Draper, US Director for Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence
- Moderator: Jason Funk, Principal & Founder of Land Use & Climate Knowledge Initiative
- Details to access the webinar room will be sent to registered participants shortly before the webinar is held. All webinars are archived here on the Institute’s website as well as on the Institute’s YouTube channel about a week after the webinar is conducted. An announcement will be posted on the Institute’s Facebook and Twitter when the recording becomes available. For questions about this webinar or the Institute’s other activities, please email Allison Tennant at ATennant@ucsusa.org
December 2020:– National Biochar Week 11/7 thru 11/11 2020 https://whova.com/portal/registration/natio2_202012/
What is Biochar?
Good general description: https://warmheartworldwide.org/biochar/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIydmzjKOg6QIV4wl9Ch0ligJ3EAAYASAAEgKTNvD_BwE Ecological Benefits Soil & Water Benefits Of Biochar http://biochar-us.org/soil-water-benefits-biochar
Biochar Slows Climate Change http://biochar-us.org/biochar-slows-climate-change
Biochar & Forest Ecosystems http://biochar-us.org/biochar-forest-ecosystems
Other Resources:
- Biochar lab https://biochar-us.org/– see the biochar info tab – EXCELLENT
- USDA biochar website: http://www.pnwbiochar.org/
- Regional Chapters http://biochar-us.org/regional-chapters
Fascinating book covering the many methods, forms, applications and potential: Burn: Using Fire to Cool the Earth https://biochar-international.org/burn-using-fire-to-cool-the-earth/
2/20/2020 Presentation: 3rd Annual Butte College Biochar Workshop: Explaining the Geologic CO2 Record: Concerns and Solutions –
Slides:
Presentation: The Case for Biochar
December 14th, 2019 – Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) – WA, 2nd district,
Whidbey Island, WA
SLIDES:
— PPTX
— PDF
Presentation: The Case for Biochar
November 20th, 2019 – Truth in Action with Unitarian Universalists
SLIDES:
— PPTX
— PDF
HOW TO MAKE BIOCHAR
TLUDs – TOP LIT UP DRAFT:
- https://youtu.be/YIbGkmt1VdE
- https://newenglandbiochar.com/tlud-biochar-and-clean-burning-with-bob-wells/
OPEN BURN/TRENCH OPTION – not as efficient but the idea is not to completely burn it to ash – save the charcoal and crush it (anyone have suggestions for crushing?):
- STOP BURNING BRUSH!, Make Easy Biochar, Every Pile is an Opportunity!: https://youtu.be/ixtxNfU9Rb8
- Comparing Biochar Burn Methods, Why I Use Open Burns, Accessibility, Context, Conversion Efficiency – https://youtu.be/hJNu1geGU6A
Background and resources: Many know biochar as a soil additive and soil enhancer; but few appreciate its carbon negativity and importance in Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) a necessary part of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR):
- What is BIOCHAR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
- Biochar-International.org: list of resources, webinars, etc.; videos: click here
- Biochar journal https://www.biochar-journal.org/en/
- http://www.ithaka-journal.net/?lang=en
- various Facebook pages as well:
-
International Biochar Initiative click here
-
e.g. BioChar will change the world: click here
-
BOOKS/LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
-
David Montgomery’s book on soil restoration – dedicates a chapter on biochar: Growing a Revolution; Bringing our Soil Back to Life, May 2017
-
Soil carbon sequestration and biochar as negative emission technologies: Smith-GCB-10.1111-gcb.13178-2016
-
2009 summation on the subject by Smith: (click here)
-
-
Draft: Philanthropy beyond Carbon Neutrality: (click here for 65 page pdf)
-
National Geographic February 2016 and/or from Ron Larson:
-
International Biochar International (click here)
-
Go here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/ and in the section called “CHANGING THE WORLD WITH BRIGHT IDEAS” there’s a video about stoves ” Could This Stove Save Thousands of Lives?”
-
- What Stockholm is doing as a model for other cities?: https://www.bloomberg.org/blog/stockholm-biochar-project-mayors-challenge-winner-opens-first-plant/
- Excerpt:
…the facility turns plant waste from parks and homes – everything from grass clippings to trees and limbs – into carbon-capturing charcoal that residents can then use in their window boxes and gardens to promote plant growth. Biochar is a powerful soil conditioner, it decreases carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere and, through its production, it will even create enough energy to provide heat and hot water for more than 80 apartments in the city….
- Excerpt:
Presentations and other info:
- February 26, 2018 presentation at EEEF assembly at Iliff: Paul Belanger and Ron Larson: CLICK HERE
- COLORADO news:
-
Senate Bill on Biochar that Ellen Roberts had passed with Ron Larson help (he says 5% of credit – he certainly supported) –
-
-
Local places along Colorado Front Range to buy BIOCHAR: CLICK HERE
- BIOCHAR: A possible Game changer for mitigation and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – as well as agricultural benefits!
-
Biochar is a way to enhance the soil, improve soil-moisture retention and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
-
It is a solution to reducing the global impact of farming as well as utilize and in reduce and make use of agricultural waste.
-
Since biochar can sequester carbon in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years,[2] it has received considerable interest as a potential tool to slow global warming.
-
The burning and natural decomposition of trees and agricultural matter contributes a large amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere. Instead, pyrolized Biochar can store this carbon in the ground in the form of charcoal and provide the micro-porous habitat for fungi and bacteria continue to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and thus aid in reducing atmospheric CO2 from the atmosphere.
-
At the same time its presence in the earth can improve water quality, increase soil fertility, raise agricultural productivity and reduce pressure on old-growth forests.
-
See links below on its history first discovered by the Amazonians and more recently by the Japanese (seeking links for the latter).
-
Left – a nutrient-poor oxisol; right – an oxisol transformed into fertile terra preta using biochar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar - Biochar seems to be presently popular as a soil enhancer; NOT FULLY APPRECIATED is its sequestering capabilities. Please read the following 2 articles (more might be added later) and disseminate/thanks:
- – The potential for land-based biological CO2 removal to lower future atmospheric CO2 concentration-Tim Lenton, University of Exeter – click here
- – Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change – Woolf, Amonette, et al. 2009 – PDF
- Good slide show: Terra Preta –CLICK HERE
Excerpts from the International Biochar conference video highlighting Cool Planet link – somewhat overstated but you get the idea(s): YouTube; – specific link below
- Latest: Reduce atmospheric CO2 by 100ppm in 40 years?
- Promise for the future regarding agriculture and sequestering Carbon (with a potential claim of 100 ppm in 40 years) – as told at a recent CRES/Biochar meeting on 6/26/2014; see:
-
Cool Planet and
-
Associated YouTube (changed 3/23/19); go to ~8:57″ for start of Cool Planet portion. If true it’s a Promise for North Carolina deniers – see story
- About the Biochar process:
- About C3, C4 and Cam Photosynthesis and Plants:
-
Photosynthetic efficiency: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthetic_efficiency
-
C3 carbon fixation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C3_carbon_fixation
-
C4 carbon fixation: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/C4_carbon_fixation
-
Summary table comparison: http://www.cropsreview.com/types-of-photosynthesis.html
-
C3 C4 CAM Photosynthesis video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_pdXzWXVA
- CARBON NEGATIVE BENEFITS: YouTube Link above to where Cool Planet makes claims of diagram below at 18:30″ (click here); go to ~8:30″ for beginning of Cool Planet portion of the video. Numbers below as stated in video – consider them an approximation depending on definition of “land availability” and quality. Nevertheless you get the idea:
- ~1%: run all cars
- ~2%:zero net carbon
- ~3%: 100 ppm reduction in 40 years
Related Articles:
-
– Chuck Kutscher: Biochar: Can it get us back down below 350 ppm atmospheric CO2?;
http://www.solartoday-digital.org/solartoday/20110102/?pg=20&pm=1&u1=friend – click on p.20 on left side
BW-pdf ASES-SOLAR TODAY Jan-Feb 2011 column
– Biochar Process: http://www.ases.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1296&Itemid=23 ASES – SOLAR TODAY 12/20/2010
OTHER Links:
- Older Articles about Biochar:
-
Amazonian discovery: black-gold_DiscoverMag2007 – pdf
-
black-gold_DiscoverMag2007 – author background – pdf
Earlier Archived talks/information
-
- IBI web site: http://www.biochar-international.org/
- webinars: http://www.biochar-international.org/webinar_series
- http://www.biochar-international.org/node/3880
- http://www.biochar-international.org/biochar/carbon
- http://www.biochar-international.org/biochar/soils
- http://biochar-us.org/2016-biochar-symposium
- http://usbi2016.org/?utm_source=Biochar+2016+-+Save+the+Date&utm_campaign=SavetheDate101915&utm_medium=email
- Schmidt_agriculture-05-00723 (3)
- Links/work on this page prepared in fall of 2016 for a presentation for OLLI class hour lecture OLLI south 1-3 p.m. as part of the OLLI course “Achieving Food Sustainability in the Future” facilitated by Bayard Breeding – biochar-notes-food-sustainability-in-the-future-20161013m PPTX
-
http://www.ithaka-institut.org/de – need to hit “translate”
- STANFORD – SOIL SCIENTIST FROM CORNELL TALKING AT STANFORD click here
- Japan times – climate change threatens Nation’s agriculture: click here
- An email from Ron Larson:click here
- GOOGLE TED TALKs BY:
- LOPA BRUJNES
- Robert Lerner
- Josiah Hunt