Researchers from the University of Georgia have been experimenting with new ways to recycle carbon. They have come up with a way to kill two birds with one stone. BioChar sequesters carbon and prevents it from getting into the atmosphere and works extremely well as fertilizer to boot. The fertilizing properties of burned biomass were already known to Amazonian tribes, and areas they cultivated hundreds of years ago using charred biomass are still very fertile.
Biochar is a highly porous form of charcoal made from various organic wastes and materials. The raw material to make it can come from kitchen waste, dead wood, animal crap, or George W. Bush’s mouth. BioChar has been called the “black gold” of agriculture for the many benefits it provides. The high carbon content and porous nature of BioChar helps soil retain water, nutrients, protect soil microbes, and ultimately increases crop yields while acting as natural carbon sink – sequestering CO2 and locking it into the ground.
Organic waste — called “biomass” — is placed into a metal barrel where it is cooked under intense heat higher than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The thermochemical process is known as “pyrolysis”. In a few hours, organics are transformed into charcoal-like pellets farmers can turn into fertilizer. Gasses given off during the process can be harnesed to fuel vehicles of power electric generators.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/03/30/biochar.warming.energy/index.html
