10 August 2012

Must Watch - Solve for X: Mike Cheiky on negative carbon liquid fuels

Posted in News, Biochar, Energy, Geoengineering, Project, Technology, Video

Talk by Mike Cheiky, President and Founder of CoolPlanet Energy Systems, which is developing carbon negative fuels with Biochar.

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05 July 2012

2012 US Biochar Conference

Written by Chris Machens, Posted in News, Biochar, Event

biochar as a key tool in Sonoma County (CA) to achieve both effective climate policy and program implementation and accelerated, sustainable agricultural productivity

The United States Biochar Initiative (USBI) selected the Sonoma Biochar Initiative (SBI) in partnership with the Sonoma Ecology Center to host the 2012 US Biochar Conference in Sonoma County, California from July 29 to August 1, 2012.

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19 April 2012

Waste not, want not

Written by Chris Machens, Posted in Biochar, News, Market, Project, Technology

An Oxnard organic recycling company redoes soil enrichment, reduces greenhouse gases

Agromin of Oxnard has created biochar, which is made from organic biomass, or plant waste, and has several environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration.

From VC Reporter by Shelby Maloney:
In the race against the clock to find new ways to fight climate change, Agromin, an Oxnard-based organic recycling company, plans to aid in the effort to modernize an ancient soil enhancement technology by developing its own version of a charcoal-like soil amendment known as biochar. Biochar is produced from organic biomass, or plant waste, and is known to have several environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration, the act of taking carbon out of the atmosphere.

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18 April 2012

Drought: how to adapt in the garden

Written by Chris Machens, Posted in News, Biochar, Howto, Science, Soil

Bunny Guinness advises how to tend to your garden in the drought / water ban

Bunny Guinness from the Telegraph: We’re nation of weather watchers, and the gardeners among us are getting extremely concerned. Even if we get a drenching this month, the hosepipe ban in many areas looks set to stay for the summer. It’s time for a rethink about the way we use water in the garden.

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17 April 2012

How One Startup Sold $6,000 Worth of Charcoal on Kickstarter

Written by Chris Machens, Posted in Biochar, News, Market, Project, Technology, Video

Produce 200% more food every crop season if they mix their soil with specially-designed charcoal

Mashable:
Big Idea: Utilize organic waste to create carbon-negative charcoal, a substance that pulls CO2 from the air and helps crops grow taller and stronger.

Why It’s Working: Re:char’s mission is about providing farmers — both at home and in developing countries such as Kenya — with conservation-oriented soil-boosting complexes that can double food output compared to traditional farming methods.

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13 April 2012

New concepts, products and ideas for the garden

Posted in News, Biochar, Howto, Soil

Biochar increases soil’s productivity and reduces the amount of water needed to produce a good crop

By Penny Stine:
Gardening may be as old as dirt, but that doesn’t mean that gardening methods, tools or ideas are equally aged.

Although it’s possible to grow a garden using the same practices used by your dear old granny, new research, new ideas and new discoveries may make it possible to grow more of what you want without moving to Iowa for the sake of growing better sweet corn.

Researchers and enthusiasts alike are singing the praises of biochar, a type of charcoal that’s produced when biomass is burned without oxygen.

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13 April 2012

1st International Biochar Summer School

Posted in Biochar, News, Howto, Project

Bio:char Crossroads at Potsdam, Germany

Via Cordis Wire:
The multi-talented biochar is one of the world's fastest growing research topics. The 1st International Biochar Summer School “bio:char crossroads”, September 9 to 16, Potsdam 2012, offers excellent young scientists from around the world a valuable means of information exchange and professional development.

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07 April 2012

Grow More Food & Fight Climate Change: Black Revolution

Posted in Biochar, News, Climate , Project, Technology, Video

"Biochar is an excellent way of getting a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere."-- Sir Richard Branson

ReChar: Climate Action - Black Revolution

ReChar started a Kickstarter project funding:
Black Revolution is a soilless growth media for plants containing biochar, coconut husk and compost. Biochar is a charcoal soil amendment made from waste that improves nutrient retention, offsets CO2 and has the potential to help feed our growing planet. Black Revolution is the world's first carbon-negative replacement for soil made entirely from waste. It's lighter than traditional soil, so it works great in rooftop or urban environments. The potting soil and chemical fertilizer industries are traditionally some of the most environmentally destructive in the world.

Chemical fertilizers require massive amounts of fossil fuels and pollute our rivers and streams. Potting soils contain peat moss and vermiculite: non-renewable resources mined from endangered areas around the world.

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