Biochar and Climate Change

Carbon Sequestration

Biochar technology has been proven to sequester carbon dioxide away from the atmosphere and as a viable tool for individuals to lessen their carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide that has been absorbed by growing plants is captured and put to work increasing soil fertility for hundreds of years and prevent it re-entering the carbon cycle. Biochar increases soil microbial life, which results in more carbon storage in soil. Biochar reduces the need for chemical fertilizer, resulting in reduced emissions from high emission fertilizer production. Additional feedback effects of stimulated plant growth and fast growing bamboo forest also consume CO2.

Other Greenhouse Gasses

Evidence indicates that incorporating biochar into soil reduces nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and increases methane (CH4) uptake from soil. Methane is capable of trapping over 20 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO2, while nitrous oxide has a global warming potential that is 310 times greater than CO2.