The Biochar Debate: Charcoal's potential to reverse climate change and build soil fertility (16) (Schumacher Briefings)

Charcoal-making Is One Of The Oldest Industrial Technologies, And In The Last Decade There Has Been A Growing Wave Of Excitement About Its Potential For Combating Climate Change. This Is Because Burying Biochar (fine-grained Charcoal) Is A Highly Effective Way To Extract Carbon Dioxide From The Atmosphere. In Addition It Can Increase The Yield Of Food Crops And The Ability Of Soil To Retain Moisture. Some People Are Concerned That Awarding Carbon Credits For Biochar Could Have Seriously Damaging Outcomes. The Biochar Debate Agrees, But Describes An Alternative Approach. Called The Carbon Maintenance Fund (cmf), That Avoids The Dangers. This Would Give Every Government The Incentive To Enable Businesses, Farmers And Individuals To Increase Their Country's Carbon Pool. It Is Based On Remote Sensing By Satellite, A Tried And Tested Technology, And Would Be Applied Globally Each Year To Measure The Increase Or Decrease Of Carbon In Plants, Soil And Roots. The Biochar Debate Sets Out Experimental And Scientific Aspects Of Biochar In The Context Of Global Warming, The Global Economy And Negotiations For The Future Of The Kyoto Protocol. It Concludes By Encouraging All Gardeners And Farmers To Use Biochar To Help Prevent Climate Change.--book Jacket. 1. Introduction: Charcoal And Biochar ; A Visit To India ; The Players -- 2. Am Overall View/ Carbon ; The Atmosphere ; The Land ; Limited Resource ; Geo-engineering ; Downsides ; Predictions -- 3. The Amazon Civilisation. Sark Soil (terra Preta) -- 4. Biochar And Agriculture. Soil ; Productivity ; Peak Oil ; Peak Phosphorus ; Pandemics ; Introduction Of Biochar ; Where, And How Much? ; Permanence In Soil ; Application -- 5. Pilot Schemes. The Banana Growers ; Scad ; Southern France ; Carbon Gold In Belize ; Ghana ; Poultry Farm ; Cameroon ; Microwave ; Carbon Capture And Storage (ccs) -- 6. Science. Photosynthesis ; Carbon Dioxide ; Methane ; Nitrous Oxide ; Safe Level For Greenhouse Gases ; Biochar ; Nutrient Qualities -- 7. Carbon Credits? Cap-and-trade ; The Global Economy ; Experience ; Europe ; Biochar ; Twin Solutions ; Cmf ; The Carbon Maintenace Fee -- Summary. James Bruggs ; With Biochar Research And Development In Southern India ; Illustrations By D. Friese-greene. Includes Bibliographical References. Charcoal-making is one of the oldest industrial technologies, and there has been a growing wave of excitement about its potential for combating climate change. Burying biochar (fine-grained charcoal) is a highly effective way to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and in addition it can increase the yield of food crops and moisture retention of soil. The Biochar Debate sets out experimental and scientific aspects of biochar in the context of global warming, the global economy and negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol. It concludes by encouraging all gardeners and farmers to use biochar to help prevent climate change. The Biochar Debate sets out experimental and scientific aspects of biochar's potential to aleviate global warming. It concludes with suggestions for how any individual can make our contribution to saving the planet.