Biochar Paper 3 - Part 2

Paper II. 3 BIOCHAR: A WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA AND THE WORLD Robert Whitfield, Action for a Global Climate Community 1. Introduction Biochar can sequester massive amounts of carbon in the soil for hundreds to thousands of yearsi . It has the potential to be... More

Paper II. 3 BIOCHAR: A WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA AND THE WORLD Robert Whitfield, Action for a Global Climate Community 1. Introduction Biochar can sequester massive amounts of carbon in the soil for hundreds to thousands of yearsi . It has the potential to be an efficient carbon sink whilst providing strong co-benefits. Pre-Columbian Amazonian Indians used it to enhance soil productivity and made it by smouldering agricultural waste. They called it “Terra Preta de Indio. ” Its modern equivalent is being developed using pyrolysis to heat biomass in the absence of oxygen. Modern biochar production can be combined with biofuel production in a process that is energy positive - producing 3-9 times more energy than invested, and carbonnegativeii - withdrawing CO2 from the atmosphere and rebuilding geological carbon sinks. With temperature thresholds, or “tipping points”, as close as ten years away for abrupt and irreversible climate changes, including catastrophic sea-level rise, the need Less