A scrappy four year-old startup thinks it can improve the livelihood of the world’s energy poor by converting 6 billion tons of agricultural farm waste produced annually in developing countries into sustainable biomass fuel (like briquettes or biodiesel, for example) and biochar, a valuable soil additive that can dramatically boost a farmer’s crop yields.
Biochar
North-South divide grows over use of biomass to generate electricity
As Climate Change negotiations get underway in Bonn, a coalition of green groups has released a report sharply criticizing the United States for its projected use of biomass for electricity generation.
American Power Act to fund biochar R & D as part of “fast CC mitigation” strategy.
Even though there are still a few skeptics out there, we were excited to learn that the current draft of the American Power Act acknowledges the potential role biochar can play in capturing CO2 during the biomass combustion process. Whether or not this language will end up in the final draft of the APA that will land on Bo’s desk for approval remains to be seen. By the way, the last we heard the legislation would be submitted for debate in the fall. Below is the excerpt provided by Victoria Kamsler, Chair of the Biochar Offset Group out of Toronto, Continue reading
A Man, a Stove, a Mission
Nathaniel Mulcahy’s speaks with the urgency and precision of someone on a mission and with little time.
Although he has patiently and politely dedicated the better part of an hour to our conversation, I know that the moment he hangs up he will be off to complete a million tasks on his to-do list.
Mulcahy has good reasons to be in a hurry. The first one is that he cheated death seven years ago following a really bad accident, so he’s a man on his second chance.
The second reason, which is linked to the first, is that he is determined to bring energy-efficient cookstoves to the world’s 2.4 billion people who sit at the bottom of the world’s energy ladder. They are the poorest of the poor who lack access to modern fuels and must make do with wood, charcoal, and animal dung to meet their everyday energy needs.
Hey, World Leader, how about a side of biochar to go with your next meeting?
So what is this thing they call biochar, you ask?
It’s been described as the Swiss Army knife, or the “killer app” of climate solutions.
Now, leaders of the G20 have a chance to put it on the map!