When you think of the Dr. Seuss movie, The Lorax, do you think of the cute creatures, or the environmental message? North Forge East’s very own, Carbon Lock Technologies, chose Pinawa for their pilot project this year and are working on reducing the amount of organic waste that’s being sent to local landfills. Their innovative system is designed to take organic waste and convert it to biochar, having the positive effect of removing carbon from entering the earth’s atmosphere – permanently!
From lawn-cutting businesses as teenagers, to using lawn clippings as a biochar-producing material, Carbon Lock Co-Founders Kevin Danner and Terry Gray have built quite the friendship over the years. The Carbon Lock project breakthrough actually began years ago, at a time when Kevin was working with the Manitoba Government.
“My daughter did a science fair project on biochar. And so we bought some biochar, she planted plants, put new beans, and measured how they grew. In spring, I took the leftover biochar, went out to the front yard, and I put it in the garden myself. And as I was, my neighbor came directly over and asked, “is that biochar?” And I said, “Yes, it is.” And of the strangest coincidence, my neighbor had in his possession a small prototype machine for producing biochar. Combining our newfound interest in biochar, with this generous offer to take this machine, and Terry & I were back in business!”
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