BiocharIs biochar a viable method?

The Carbon Cycle

Four Reservoirs of Carbon:

1. Sedimentary Rock

2. Ocean

3. Land Surface

4. Atmosphere

Each of these reservoirs “breathes” CO2 causing atmospheric CO2 to vary over time.

Carbon Sequestration

Geological sequestration: storing carbon dioxide in depleted gas and oil reservoirs keeping it beneath the earth’s surface

Carbon capture and storage: involves CO2 being directly taken from power plant exhaust streams and injected into porous geological formations deep in the Earth

Production: Pyrolysis

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Biochar Info• Carbon negative• Permanent carbon sink • Reduces run-off, erosion, gaseous loss• Decreases need for fossil fuels• Slash and char is better than slash and burn• Retains nutrients and enhances soil fertility• Biochar is cheap and can be used on small or large scale

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Social Efforts and Tradability

• Current effort: IBI is currently working on a project to develop and evaluate cost

effective approaches in order to introduce biochar to six developing countries.

• Kyoto Protocol: (Dec. 11, 1997) targets industrialized countries for high levels of emissions, sets rules and regulations for environmental future.

– Three mechanisms:• Emission Trading• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)• Joint Implimentation (JI)

• Options for Trading Carbon for Developed Nations: – Spend money to cover the costs of cutting emissions or else they can continue

polluting the atmosphere but pay someone else to cut their emissions.

• Cap and Trade: Developed nations can trade amongst themselves

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