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Basic information about biochar describing the benefits of biochar and ways to make money with biochar
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WHAT IS BIOCHAR?• What is it good for?• How can you make money with it?
Kelpie WilsonWilson Biochar Associateskelpiew@gmail.com
Biochar is baked biomass that you can add to soil*
*Biochar: A solid material obtained from thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. (IBI, 2012)
Biochar Definition and Properties• Biochar is biomass that is thermally altered in the
absence of oxygen, ie, it is baked, not burned, and flammable gasses are released (hydrogen, CO)
• Heat transforms plant carbon (found in cellulose and lignin) into fused aromatic carbon rings that are very stable
• Biochars made from different feedstocks at different temperatures can have very different physical and chemical properties
Biomass to Biochar
Heat
LigninCellulose
Molecular scale
Cellularscale
Carbon Atoms(graphene)
Biochar Benefits - Economic and Social
• Climate & pollution• Energy• Soil Improvement• Waste Management
Biochar Markets
•Biochar and Pollution
Biochar retains fertilizer, reducing nutrient pollution
Reclaiming mine tailings
Hope Mountain Mine near Aspen, Colorado.100-year old mine tailings contaminated with heavy metals re-vegetated with biochar in one year.
•Biochar and Climate
Climate Benefits Depend on Biochar Stability
Carbon Cycle and Biochar
Biochar, the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change
"If you could continually turn a lot of organic material into biochar, you could, over time, reverse the history of the last two hundred years… We can run the movie backward. We can un-mine some of the coal, un-drill some of the oil.”
~ Bill McKibben, author, climate activist and founder of 350.org
•Biochar and Energy
Energy-medium scalePhoenix Bioenergy, Merced, California
• 500 kW electricity
• 1 ton of biochar per day
Energy-small scalebiochar-making cook stoves for developing countries
•Biochar and Soil
Soil Benefits - Biochar can replace depleted Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)
Since the industrial revolution, the conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural use has resulted in the depletion of SOC levels, releasing 50 to 100 GT of carbon from soil into the atmosphere.
Biochar Benefits to Soils
• increase soil carbon levels
• improve fertilizer use efficiency
• decrease toxicity of aluminum and other metals
• increase water holding capacity of the soil
• improve soil conditions for micro and macro soil life forms (bacteria, fungi, earthworms)
• moderate (usually increase) soil pH
• decrease tensile strength and bulk density of soil (easier tillage)
Iowa – natural biochar
• Iowa soils – some of the most fertile in the world
• Why? Natural biochar from prairie fires
• Root zone excludes oxygen, producing char, not ash
Biochar retains soil moisture
Iowa corn did better this drought year because the soils are high in natural biochar. Test plots with added biochar at Iowa State showed about 15% better water retention.
Terra Preta – human-created soils in the Amazon are 500-6,000 years old
Habitat for soil organisms “permanent compost”
A. Fungal hyphae
B. Bacteria
C. 100-year old char from forest fire
D. 350-year old char from forest fire
Refuge for Roots
Tropical soils show the most dramatic results
Worms Love Biochar
Biochar works best when composted with other organic matter before adding to garden soil. This allows life to colonize the biochar.
Plants trials with biochar
Beans, Taro, Pine Seedlings – no biochar on Left, biochar on Right
Biochar as a Peat Substitute
Biochar on left; Peat on right
•Biochar and Waste
Waste that can be turned into biochar• Paper and cardboard • Construction waste• Urban greenwaste (tree trimmings, grass, etc.)• Fuel-load reduction wood (burn piles)• Manure• Human waste
Pile and Burn Cost: $2,000/acreReturn: waste treatment – fuel load reductionByproducts: smoke, ash, sterilized soil
Alternative to Pile and Burn:Carbon Cultures Mobile Biochar Kiln
Biochar Technology Showcase Events November 6-9, 2012 in Kerby, OR
• Mobile Biochar Technology Comes to the Southern Oregon Woods
• Waste-to-wealth technology transforms burn piles from cost center to profit center – public invited to demonstrations and lectures offered multiple times during November 6-9
• Hosted by: Carbon Cultures, the Illinois Valley Forest Practices Committee, the Forestry Action Committee, and Illinois Valley Business Entrepreneurial Center
• More information at: www.carboncultures.com/carbon-cultures-showcase-event/
• Biochar Technology Showcase Event planning, publicity, outreach and logistics by Wilson Biochar Associates
•Biochar Markets
Emerging Biochar Markets – Wholesale:
• Soil remediation and water cleanup – mine tailings, storm water run-off from industrial sites, bio-swales
• Re-vegetation of stream banks and eroded, difficult sites like forest landings and old roads; tree planting
• Nursery and potting media – tree seedlings, bedding plants
• Commercial farming and horticulture, including hydroponics and use in livestock barns for odor control
• Commercial composting – accelerates composting process, controls odor
• Green roofs• Urban tree care
Emerging Biochar Markets – Retail:• Home gardening amendments and fertilizer blends –
branded products sold at garden centers• Artisanal biochar and compost blends sold at local
farmer’s markets• Bedding and container plants in biochar soil blends
sold at garden centers and nurseries• Biochar-compost blends sold by the yard or pickup
load direct from composting facilities• Biochar sold for odor control in horse stalls, chicken
coops, piggeries, etc
Biochar products for sale
Popular biochar blends• Biochar composted with animal manure• Biochar inoculated with compost tea• Biochar composted with food waste and bokashi
(anaerobic lactobacillus fermentation)• Other additives include minerals, NPK, fungi, worm
castings, fish emulsion, urea, etc.
How to make money with biochar – some ideas:
• Sell biochar to wholesale markets• Produce blended biochar products and sell to retail
markets• Contracts (private, public) to produce biochar for
land remediation, re-vegetation and erosion control• Forestry and landscape contractors convert yard
waste and logging waste to biochar for large and small landowners
• Farmers and gardeners can save money by producing soil amendments for use on the farm
Wilson Biochar AssociatesWilson Biochar Associates specializes in biochar technology and market development. We provide strategic advice and services to businesses and organizations:
• Technology Assessment, Research, Analysis and Documentation – reports, white papers, collaborative studies, standards and protocols, technology documentation, product manuals, instructional materials
• Communications – press releases, news articles, feature articles, web content, presentations
• Strategic Planning – campaigns and programs, organizational development, proposals
• Social Networking and Community Development – build support for campaigns, products, projects and ideas in online and local communities
Kelpie WilsonWilson Biochar AssociatesHome office: 541-592-3083Mobile: 541-218-9890kelpiew@gmail.comwww.wilsonbiochar.com
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