Biochar: Innovating How We Treat Soil to Fight Climate Change
Climate change is undeniably one of humanity’s greatest challenges; threatening increased natural disasters, rising sea levels, and food scarcities. One of our greatest tools in combating the threat of climate change is how we manage our soil. Occupying the third largest carbon pool, soil plays a critical role in managing greenhouse gasses. The Earth’s soil contains 2,500 gigatons of carbon which accounts for three times the carbon in the atmosphere. It is a natural filtration system, storing about 25% of the world’s total fossil fuel emissions each year. A very small change in the way we store carbon in soil can produce drastic impacts on atmospheric gas management.
Unfortunately, the way we treat soil does not reflect the importance of its use in maintaining our atmosphere. Agricultural soil has been degraded by intensive agricultural practices, excessive application of chemicals, and erosion. Degradation has led to depletion of carbon and nutrients contained in the soil which compromises the soil’s ability to produce healthy plant activity, lowering crop yields, and leading to the use of more agricultural chemicals. This system has impactful side effects, producing foods laden with toxic chemicals and perpetuating unsustainable farming practices.
Challenging the way we treat soil through unhealthy farming practices requires innovative solutions. It is critical that we create an agricultural system that recognizes unsustainable practices and implements organic farming systems. The use of organic pesticides and fertilizers, hydroponics, and carbon-neutral farming can create a healthy and sustainable farming system; producing healthier foods, reducing environmental pollutants and restoring climate stability. One step we can take to break the cycle of soil mistreatment and implement organic systems, comes in the form of a commodity called biochar.
Biochar
The use of biochar is a 2000-year old practice in which biological waste material, such as timber corn stalks, manure or other biological waste, is converted into a soil amendment that holds carbon, increases soil biodiversity, and prevents soil nutrient loss. Through a process called pyrolysis, biomass is converted into a char-like material using little to no oxygen. When oxygen is not present in the charring of the biomass, very little carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and the biochar product effectively sequesters that carbon. Plant matter left after harvest, also referred to as biomass, is made up of mostly carbon and when left to naturally decompose, loses all of that carbon into the atmosphere within a few years. Alternatively, pyrolysis breaks this cycle of decomposing plant matter by trapping carbon within the biochar before it is released into the atmosphere. This creates a carbon negative system that stabilizes possibly 50% of the biomass carbon which can be locked away for potentially up to a thousand years. Another benefit to pyrolysis is the production of useful byproducts including bio-oil and synthetic gas that can replace fossil fuels, further mitigating climate change.
The biochar created by the process of pyrolysis is highly resistant and is not able to be broken down by soil microbes. By adding it to agricultural soil it provides benefits by retaining water and nutrients. This prevents leaching and runoff, which helps save our rivers and aquifers from pesticide and fertilizer contamination. Further, its porous structure provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms that play a role in growing more resilient crops. Lastly, the addition of biochar to soil also has been shown to reduce the soil’s emissions of greenhouse gasses, helping to once again combat climate change.
The widespread use of biochar in the U.S. is currently not economically or geographically accessible to farmers. But, with the implementation of accessible pyrolysis systems farmers would have greater incentive to convert their excess biomass into biochar for use as a soil amendment. Biochar presents large incentives in the form of greater crop yields, water conservation, and a reduction in pesticide and fertilizer use. In the future, farmers could also possibly access carbon offsets through carbon credit, creating more economic incentives.The benefits of biochar provide a pathway for farmers to take part in healthier agricultural practices while also significantly mitigating the effects of climate change. Proliferation of biochar as a soil amendment serves as a possible solution to soil mistreatment, honing our use of the Earth’s soil as a tool against greenhouse gas emissions. Its benefits to agriculture will hopefully bridge the gap for farmers, allowing them to turn to safer practices and embrace organic farming. Biochar’s use is a step in the right direction, changing how we approach soil and agriculture. With this change we hold the power to create a better future for our environment and humanity.
~Contact the Amata Green team today to discuss biochar solutions for your farm or farm co-op.
About the Author: Colin Hughes, a Legal Intern at Amata Green, Summer 2020. Colin Hughes is a graduate from Stony Brook University in N.Y. where he earned his B.A. in Political Science and Psychology. Mr. Hughes is currently pursuing a J.D. at the University of Maryland, Carey School of Law with a focus in Environmental Law. His interests include climate change policy, natural resource management and environmental regulation.
