As more and more multibillion-dollar projects for sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) deep within the Earth seek financial support, human-formed fertile black soils in the Amazon basin suggest a cheaper, lower-tech route toward the same destination. Scattered patches of dark, charcoal-rich soils known as terra preta (Portuguese for "black earth") are the inspiration behind international efforts that are investigating how burying biomass-derived charcoal, or "biochar," could boost soil fertility and transfer a sizeable amount of CO2 from the atmosphere into safe extended storage in topsoil. Although burial of biochar is just beginning to be tested in long-term field trials, studies of Amazonian terra preta reveal that charcoal has the potential to lock up carbon in soils for centuries.
Technology Partners: MimirTech
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/biochar-carbon-mitigation-ground
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/david-j-tenenbaum
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/environmental-health-perspectives
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-capability
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/amazon
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-change
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-science
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-mitigation
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/biomass
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/carbon-sequestration
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/charcoal
