Photosynthesis on a large scale is a mitigating factor, but the massive destruction of virgin forests is counteracting this. If the carbon captured from the atmosphere by photosynthesis could be captured and stored, then nature would contribute to capture and man to storage. The use of bio-waste and crop residues as feed-stock for the production of biochar can represent a promising technical solution. Biochar is produced through pyrolysis, combustion with minimal oxygen. The process is carbon negative. Apart from the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) aspect, biochar has dramatic beneficial effects on soil. Because of its porosity, it acts as a sponge, providing a mechanism for slow-release of water and nutrients, as well as acting as an excellent biosphere for microorganisms that are essential for healthy soils.
In poor agrarian societies in the south, where the soils are typically poor in carbon and nutrients, the addition of biochar can make a dramatic difference. Thoughtful agro-ecology, agro forestry and intercropping where food and energy crops can be grown in an integrated fashion, can achieve multiple positive effects:
- Correct use of crops can introduce nitrogen to the soil and produce the right mineral balance
- The use of oil crops like Millettia Pinnata on poor soils can provide fuel for transport and energy
- Bio-waste and crop residues producing biochar will create a benign circle of increasing yields
Here is a schematic of biochar production:
Intelligent use of appropriate technologies and methods, working closely with the people on the ground can address many of the fundamental problems we face with desertification, malnutrition, ill-health and so on.
