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Dear Reader,
While lots of us look to modern technology to solve our climate crisis, perhaps we’re barking up the wrong tree. Indeed, some methods and solutions have existed for thousands of years, long used by Indigenous people. Case in point: improving soil health with biochar.
Biochar is like charcoal, but better. “It’s created by burning wood waste or other organic material (biomass) in a low-oxygen environment through a process called pyrolysis,” Bluedot editor Britt Bowker wrote in a recent story. Britt was writing about Maggie Craig, who not only puts biochar to use, but also shares how it works with anyone interested, and provides demonstrations at farms on Martha’s Vineyard, where she lives.
After burning waste wood in a flame cap kiln (which creates high heat while limiting oxygen), Maggie produces biochar, a jet-black, carbon-rich, porous material that improves soil health, stores nutrients and water, increases plant growth, and sequesters carbon. What’s more, Maggie also tells us that biochar can treat water.
Seems there’s little biochar can’t do!
In fact, Anthropocene Magazine reports that biochar is being used in a study to help grow cotton, a notoriously water intensive crop. “Adding biochar to the soil not only creates better growing conditions for cotton, but also reduces nitrogen run-off by up to 87%,” Anthropocene tells us. “These findings from a new research paper add to a growing body of work that shows the triple benefits biochar can have on crops, soil health, and the wider environment.” Researchers are planning to test it on corn and soy next.
But Maggie seems two steps ahead of them, already putting biochar to work and sharing its climate-fighting cred with others.
Championingly,
Dot
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