A recent study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications has determined that the production of a unique type of charcoal called biochar could help to sustainably offset as much as 12 percent of the greenhouse gases produced by human activities. The study looked at the global supply of biomass that is not consumed by humans for food, such as corn leaves, livestock manure, and yard trimmings. Using a mathematical model, researchers then calculated three different scenarios for the production of biochar: from a maximum amount, which would convert all non-edible biomass around the world into the material, to a minimum amount, which would utilize significantly less biomass.The results for all three scenarios revealed significant findings. Depending on the level of biochar produced, carbon offsets of between 1.8 billion metric tons and roughly 1.0 billion metric tons annually are possible. This includes capturing and sequestering such potent greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Researches also found that a combination of burning some biomass as fuel while converting the rest into biochar could potentially create optimal greenhouse gas offsets.
Biochar is created utilizing a process called pyrolysis, in which biomass undergoes direct thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, as when plant material decomposes naturally in the presence of oxygen, the production of biochar removes these circulating gases and stores them in a high-carbon, fine-grained residue. The result is a stable, soil-like form that is carbon negative.
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