Biochar is often overlooked as a means of sequestering carbon, but it is effective and inexpensive compared to many techno-fixes.
Millions of tons of organic waste from agriculture and forestry operations are left to rot or get burned each year. Either way, the embedded carbon goes straight into the atmosphere, where it contributes to more global heating. If those same waste products were converted into biochar, they could sequester some of that carbon for years or even decades.
I came across an article about biochar in Grist recently and realized I really didn’t know much about it. So I contacted Jock Gill, who lives in Peacham, Vermont, and is deeply committed to any and all methods of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide humans add to the atmosphere. Jock is the one who got me interested in the Peacham Community Solar project we told our readers about last month.
US Biochar Initiative
Not surprisingly, he is also involved with the biochar movement and immediately put me in touch with Tom Miles, the executive director of the US Biochar Initiative in Portland, Oregon. Its website is an excellent resource for those who want to know more about biochar.
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