Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a global problem. Wealthy and poor alike use the earth’s resources in different ways and produce excessive GHG emissions. The First World’s pollution is studied in detail while much of the most significant pollution of the Third World is obscure and solutions are therefore ignored. Amazingly, biochar is a common solution that can be used once both worlds identify and measure obscure problems.
Data on Sources of Greenhouse Gases
Almost three-fourths of the demands for energy in the world are met by fossil fuels according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), World Oil Demand per Capita by Region, 2003, “Global Consumption of Oil per Capita” (International Energy Annual, 2003). Policy making focuses on visible statistics and estimates. Because the First World has the most vehicles per capita, the First world is perceived as the biggest polluter, subjectively.
The least visible polluters - charcoal making (small scale) and the slashing and burning of forests - are difficult to quantify and tend to escape standard and uniform statistical reporting. The U.S. DOE does not list charcoal or biochar in its current reporting, worldwide, but it does address fossil fuels worldwide.
Energy Potential of Biomass and Biochar
In the future the U.S. may officially develop biomass and biochar production to meet alternative energy needs. David Kline, analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, reports that U.S. non-hydro renewable energy puts biomass ahead of the other three sources: geothermal, solar and wind . However, all four combined only represent 6.6% the total energy production. Kline lists biochar as something to optimize in the list for “Major Technology Directions: Proposed focus on large-scale power” (May 27, 2010 in “U.S. Renewable Energy Technology, Status and Trends”).
The U.S. government generally addresses large-scale solutions through very large and expensive high technology. However, the Third World is learning to use simple grassroots technology. This is highlighted by the private U.S. Biochar Initiative: at a remote agroforestry pilot program in the Philippines in July 2010, Biochar Initiative's Ron Larson, PhD, demonstrated the zero GHG emission methodology for making biochar while cooking and enhancing the soil at no cost. (Further Reading)
The USBI demonstrated approach replaces the GHG emission-plagued charcoal production of the Third World and diminishes the need to continue slash and burn practices, two major GHG emitters that escape the official statistical base for ranking major polluters and determining new policies.
For example, assumptions about biochar include:
- For every one billion Third World families that cook with one kilogram of charcoal daily the GHG emissions for producing the billion kilograms of charcoal are averted.
- For every unit of one billion kilograms of charcoal averted 333,333 trees weighing 3,000 kilograms each are saved each day.
- For every kilogram of biochar that is spread onto one square meter of forest floor, the equivalent of more than 300 square meters of surface area absorbing carbon dioxide is created.
- Every one billion square meters of forest floor is the effective surface area of 300 billion square meters per day.
At present, these points are only assumptions because research on biochar still has much to reveal. Phillip Small writes "Biochar research is still in infancy. The diversity of biochar properties and potential interactions between biochar and various soil, climate and cropping systems is staggering. Unfortunately the scientific community and my fellow USDA ARS biochar research scientists have just begun to scratch the surface of this science. It is clearly premature for us to release guidelines or tables for what type of biochar to apply to what type of soil or even how to conduct tests on biochar."(National Society for Consulting Soil Scientists, Inc., Last updated June 6, 2010.)
How Significant is Biochar?
Citing data from Sabine et al, 2004, Debbie Reed of the International Biochar Initiative reported that:
- Soils store nearly 4X more organic C than atmospheric CO2
- Atmospheric CO2 cycles through biosphere every 14 years.
- Annual uptake of CO2 by plants is 8X greater than anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
- Divertng only a small proportion of cycling C into biochar (e.g., 1%) would mitigate almost 10% GHG emissions.
(Biochar: Carbon-Negative Technology to Combat Climate Change and Enhance Global Soil Resources,“Feeding a Hot Hungry Planet: The Challenge of Making More Food and Fewer Greenhouse Gases” ,May 1, 2009, Princeton.edu)
Excessive Green House Gas Emissions, Measured or Not
U.S. DOE statistics help form international policy-making while omitting two major Third World GHG emission contributors and a primary solution. Resulting policies also omit them. Funding addresses only what is officially visible. The Third World is not recognized as a major polluter and solution, and as such is invisible statistically in this context.
Further Reading
Biochar GHG Reduction Accounting in: Potential Biochar greenhouse gas reductions, “The Potential for Biochar to Significantly Contribute to U.S. Climate Mitigation Efforts Through Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Reductions (CDR)
USBI website lists all new articles when posted and will report on Dr. Larson's visit to the Philippines.
Joseph Reynolds - Mr. Joseph J. Reynolds, MPP began his professional career in 1974 as a planner for the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council when ...
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