Conventional agriculture destroys our soils, pollutes our water and is a
major contributor to climate change. What if our agricultural practices
could stabilize, or even reverse these trends?
The Biochar Solution explores the dual function of biochar as a
carbon-negative energy source and a potent soil-builder. Created by
burning biomass in the absence of oxygen, this material has the unique
ability to hold carbon back from the atmosphere while simultaneously
enhancing soil fertility. Author Albert Bates traces the evolution of
this extraordinary substance from the ancient black soils of the Amazon
to its reappearance as a modern carbon sequestration strategy.
Combining practical techniques for the production and use of biochar
with an overview of the development and future of carbon farming, The
Biochar Solutiondescribes how a new agricultural revolution can reduce
net greenhouse gas emissions to below zero while increasing world food
reserves and creating energy from biomass wastes. Biochar and carbon
farming can:
- Reduce fossil fuels inputs into our food system
- Bring new life to desert landscapes
- Filter and purify drinking water
- Help build carbon-negative homes, communities and nations.
Biochar is not without dangers if unregulated, and it is not a panacea,
but if it fulfills its promise of taking us back from the brink of
irreversible climate change, it may well be the most important discovery
in human history.
