The Biochar debate

“There is one way we could save ourselves, and that is through the massive burial of charcoal” James Lovelock

Converting biomass into charcoal type char which can be used the improve soil fertility, while also trapping carbon dioxide, certainly has major attractions. Some energy is generated too.

But a key issue is whether, in net climate terms, the loss of (some) biomass for direct conversion to energy is balanced by the gain from CO2 entrapment and extra CO2 absorption by more fertile soils- especially if the combustion route also used geo-sequestration i.e. CCS?

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