I have wanted to post something about the increasing greenwaste problem and how biochar may help. Part of my interest in biochar has always been driven by its potential for waste recycling. But the point was really driven home when Thor Bailey of the California Biochar Association took me on a tour of farms and related places from Colusa to Kern Counties.

There are many acres covered with piles of what may be called greenwaste: crop residue, tree and vine crops that have been pulled out and piled up, etc. California law over the last 25 years has mandated less and less greenwaste go into our scarce landfill space. And greatly restricted burning. Combine all of that with the problems the Central Valley has with air pollution and air pollution laws and restrictions and you can see where we are.

The piles are not a good situation for anyone, but no one seems to know where to put that much biomass. We also have a problem with all the dead trees in the Sierras caused by the drought, bark beetles and other issues. We need a solution that reduces the volume and preferably turns it into something useful, or at least not harmful -- e.g. we don't want to burn them and create more air pollution or carbon dioxide.

My estimation of where we are asks you to use this definition-- biochar is a type of charcoal that can enhance the functionality of soil. With that, here is an estimation of where we are :

1) We have a lot of greenwaste.

2) Pyrolysis can turn it into something that may improve the soil, and thus be called biochar.

3) Often what people think they have created may have some charcoal in it, but also ash and perhaps other things.

4) We can manipulate the pyrolysis/burning process to create better biochar.

5) We can at least make something that will not be harmful when put into the soil, will generally improve at least some soil functionality, and will certainly sequester carbon for a longer time than just about any other solution that could be implemented on a large scale.

A lot more can be said about all of the above, but for now it is enough to bring us to the real question: Where do we go from here? Biochar can certainly be part of the solution for difficult problems in waste management, global hunger, environmental degradation, and climate change. But biochar needs to be used on a large scale to really have impact. We need to move biochar from a promising solution to global implementation. The path towards implementing biochar as a global solution will require research, advocacy, public policy, and many other efforts as we proceed. I am glad that the California Biochar Association, the Office of Policy and Research, and others have started to pull all of that together. A lot of the answers to biochar questions will come as we start the ball rolling towards large scale use.