Acrisol + typical Amazon soil Infertile clay Charcoal = Terra Preta ? Charcoal Biochar Acrisol Biochar Scientific Advisory Committee International Biochar Initiative Biochar is fine-grained charcoal high in organic carbon, largely resistant to decomposition, produced from pyrolysis of plant and waste feedstocks. As soil amendment, biochar creates a recalcitrant carbon pool that is carbon-negative – net withdrawal of atmospheric carbon. Enhanced nutrient retention capacity of biochar-amended soil reduces total fertilizer requirements, also climate and environmental impact of croplands. Biochar Climate Change Confronting

Biochar is a special charcoal, made from select biomass, prepared for special purpose: to put in soil to grow food Biochar is an ancient method to smolder dry biomass in a low Oxygen environment This controlled combustion technology is based on gasification and pyrolysis Slow pyrolysis heats biomass to 500 to 700°C Carbon burns hottest, and thus burns last, the residue of combustion the residue of combustion without sufficient Oxygen carbon-rich substance with similar properties to activated charcoal The yield is a blackBiochar Properties

Hans-Peter Schmitt at Ithaka Institut in Switzerland describes55 uses for biochar in great detail, including cascading processes that sequence the same batch in an array of uses. Hans-Peter points to biochars digestive qualities, noting the Zanzibar Red Colobus monkey eats char daily to detox phenols in its leafy diet. We spend $20 billion per year pharmaceuticals. A tiny bit of biochar added to animal feed can cut Germanys GHG emissions nearly 1%, not including methane. Hans-Peter has a charred wool product thats a slow release fertilizer stick containing 8% nitrogen. He described… biochar textiles that serve as deodorizersbiochar textiles that serve as deodorizers plasters that absorb mycotoxins (like black mold spores)plasters that absorb mycotoxins (like black mold spores) lightweight biochar brickslightweight biochar bricks a refrigerator house in Kenyaa refrigerator house in Kenya biochar pillows & mattresses to soak up toxins from your skinbiochar pillows & mattresses to soak up toxins from your skin dampening of ambient electromagnetic pollutiondampening of ambient electromagnetic pollution graphite-quality biochar for semiconductors, batteries & nanotubesgraphite-quality biochar for semiconductors, batteries & nanotubes Uses of Biochar Biochar Properties