News
Winnipeg’s waste stream is 44% food
While grocery bills rise, food is still being wasted in Winnipeg — and a new report says nearly half of that greenhouse gas-producing waste is avoidable. Food waste from single-family households made up about 44 per cent of Winnipeg's waste stream,...
Carbon Lock Tech named Finalist in Food Waste Reduction Challenge
Carbon Lock Tech has been selected as one of six finalists in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Food Waste Reduction Challenge. Competitors in this Challenge have been working on technologies that either extend the life of food in stores or homes, or...
Carbon Lock Tech named recipient of SDTC Seed Fund
Ottawa, Ontario - Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has announced Seed Funding of $2.5 million for 25 Canadian companies developing new technologies to fight the effects of climate change, contribute to the circular economy, and promote...
New Zealand proposes taxing cow burps to reduce emissions
New Zealand has proposed taxing the greenhouse gasses that farm animals produce from burping and urinating in a bid to tackle climate change.
Report on landfill methane consultations released
In early 2022 Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) sought input on proposals for developing regulations on methane emissions from landfills. Comments received have been summarized in a “What We Heard” report, which can be accessed here:...
Record amount of methane added to atmosphere last year
Much methane comes out of livestock and human-generated agriculture, as well as from landfills Global atmospheric levels of the potent but short-lived greenhouse gas methane increased by a record amount last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
How investing in cleantech bolsters the planet… and portfolios
Climate-focused venture capital in Canada is no longer a rarity, with investors, corporations and governments now competing for startups’ attention. To make good on all those net-zero commitments made at last November’s United Nations summit in Glasgow,...
Study shows benefits of biochar application
“I saw biochar in action and it blew me away. When you see white beach sand that is now capable of producing food because it’s a functioning soil, it doesn’t take long to be convinced.” A study done by Saskatchewan Polytech on soil reclamation involving...
Carbon-negative biochar augmented concrete
“1 tonne biochar can trap 2.0-2.6 tonnes of CO2” It is well-established that the concrete industry and use of cement is one of the most emission-intensive industrial processes on Earth. Concrete is the most widely used human-made material on the planet...
It’s high time we tackle methane emissions from waste
Governments and international organizations are sounding the alarm on methane emissions from organic waste in landfills. Fortunately, emissions from waste have been identified as having a significant mitigation potential.
The world’s biggest carbon-removal plant will take a whole year to negate just 3 seconds’ worth of global emissions.
Direct air capture technologies are showing that carbon dioxide can be drawn out of the atmosphere and sequestered deep underground. But the high cost of such technologies – as well as the practicality of deploying them at massive scale – raises important questions.
Ambitious climate goals call for rapid adoption of Canadian solutions
Canadian cleantech companies are increasingly looking south for opportunities as the Biden administration pushes for new climate-change policies and programs.
Scarce carbon storage threatens net-zero push as emissions keep rising
As more and more governments and companies commit to becoming “net-zero” the demand of carbon capture and storage technologies will increase rapidly. But will we have enough carbon sequestration solutions to meet this demand in time to avoid a major climate crisis?
Soil, carbon sequestration and the fight against climate change
A University of Sydney professor is using “digital soil mapping” to help measure soil carbon content in the field and encourage farmers to adopt the government’s Carbon Farming Initiative.
Is carbon the ‘crop’ of the future?
There is a growing interest in “carbon farming” among forward-looking agricultural producers in the United States. Ideas range from promoting on-farm practices such as conservation tilling and livestock rotation to establishing USDA-managed “carbon banks” to facilitate the buying and selling of agricultural carbon credits.
Pioneers on biochar – visit to a biochar production farm
Hjelmsäter was one of the first companies to start a production of biochar in Sweden. Production of charcoal through pyrolysis has been around since the medieval times. But here we are talking about modern production, also through pyrolysis, that has been talked about for over 10 years. Now, it seems that a breakthrough is close, thanks to boilers that optimizes the process with computer power, and equipment that make the handling easier.
Saying “yes” to cleantech
In this article, Yung Wu, CEO of the MaRS Discovery District, argues that long-standing barriers to getting cleantech innovations developed, financed and adopted may be starting to come down — and will need to come down — due in part to the challenges of climate change and COVID-19, as well as the need to rebuild our economy.
Effect of biochar on microbial community composition and enzymatic activity
Biochar offers several benefits as a soil amendment, including increased soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and water-holding capacity in nutrient-poor soils. In this study, soil samples with and without biochar additives were collected for two consecutive years from an experimental field plot to examine its effect on the microbial community structure and functions in sandy soils under peach-trees.
New report on carbon markets: What you need to know
The market for carbon offsets must be scaled up globally to make a sufficient dent in climate change, according to a new report that lays out a path toward a high-quality global carbon market. What does any of this mean? Let’s take you through it.
Ten golden rules of large-scale tree planting
Scientists have proposed 10 golden rules for tree-planting, which they say must be a top priority for all nations this decade. Forests are essential to life on Earth. They provide a home to three-quarters of the world’s plants and animals, soak up carbon dioxide, and provide food, fuels and medicines.
Elon Musk to offer $100M prize for ‘best’ carbon capture tech
Tesla Inc. chief and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk took to Twitter on Thursday to promise a $100 million US prize for development of the “best” technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions.
New uses for cherry pits makes landfilling a ‘waste of a waste’
Using pits from the Kewadin plant, Cornell researchers experimented with how to convert them to biochar, a charcoal-like, carbon-rich substance made by heating pits in a zero- or low-oxygen environment. Biochar is usually plowed or dug into farm fields and gardens to enrich the soil.
Nova Scotia business embraces biochar
A Nova Scotia lumber company is turning to biochar as a solution to its wood chips and low-grade wood.
Biochar helps hold water, saves money
Biochar’s benefits for the long-term sequestration of carbon and nitrogen on American farms are clear, but new research from Rice University shows it can help farmers save money on irrigation as well. The study showed that sandy soil, in particular, gains ability to retain more water when amended with biochar.
Nitrous oxide, more harmful to the climate than CO2
A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that nitrous oxide — a gas that is 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide — is steadily increasing in the atmosphere. If emissions aren’t curbed, Earth’s temperature could rise by 3°C by 2100.
A comprehensive quantification of global nitrous oxide sources and sinks
Nitrous oxide (N2O), like carbon dioxide, is a long-lived greenhouse gas that accumulates in the atmosphere. Over the past 150 years, increasing atmospheric N2O concentrations have contributed to stratospheric ozone depletion1 and climate change.
Can biochar make beef better for the environment?
Farmers in Australia are adding biochar to cattle feed in an effort to reduce methane emissions and increase soil carbon.