About Biochar: Biochar White Paper

About Biochar: Biochar White Paper
International Biochar Initiative, October2007
Biochar: A Soil Amendment that Combats Global Warming and Improves Agricultural Sustainability and Environmental Impacts
Introduction to Biochar
Biochar and bioenergy co-production from urban, agricultural and forestry biomass can help combat global climate change by displacing fossil fuel use, by sequestering carbon in stable soil carbon pools, and by dramatically reducing emissions of nitrous oxides, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. , As a soil amendment, biochar helps to improve the Earth’s soil resource by increasing crop yields and productivity, by reducing soil acidity, and by reducing the need for some chemical and fertilizer inputs. , Water quality is improved by the use of biochar as a soil amendment, because biochar aids in soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant and crop utilization, , reducing leaching and run-off to ground and surface waters.
Biochar production and utilization systems differ from most biomass energy systems because the technology is carbon-negative: it removes net carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in stable soil carbon “sinks”. Other biomass energy systems are at best carbon-neutral, resulting in no net changes to atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Biochar Production
Biochar
Bioenergy
Economics of Biochar Systems
Rural and Developing Country Applications of Biochar Systems