Begin forwarded message:From: Tom Goreau <gor...@globalcoral.org>Subject: [CDR] Biochar and Carbon CreditsDate: February 17, 2021 at 1:35:56 PM MSTTo: Carbon Dioxide Removal <CarbonDiox...@googlegroups.com>--
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On Feb 17, 2021, at 3:38 PM, John Nissen <johnnis...@gmail.com> wrote:Hi Ron,It has to be much bigger and much cheaper - scaling to remove x2 of emissions
, i.e. 20 GtC or 73 GtCO2 at a cost of $20-30 per tCO2.
With a few decades at this removal rate, CO2 could be reduced to less than 300 ppm.
I would like this ambition for endorsement by the COP26 in Glasgow this November. Is there any chance of IBI or some other group taking this forward?
It would be a major step towards planet-wide soil fertility restoration and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals for food, water and biodiversity besides the CDR benefits.
Cheers, John
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Biochar and rock powder should always be used together because they potentiate each other’s effects multiplicatively rather than additively.
http://www.soilcarbonalliance.org/2020/07/13/rock-powder-with-biorock-synergies-co-benefits/
The weathering of rock powder is around an order of magnitude faster with roots growing in it than if it is lying on dead ground. Dick Holland measured 3 times faster chemical weathering of vegetated than bare basalt in Iceland. In the tropics you get a much higher ratio. In Panama I grew trees about 7 times faster with basalt rock powder than on local soil, could have grown them even faster if I had biochar there. Note how the key nutritional elements were increased in the soil, while olivine would only increase one or two of them.
On Feb 17, 2021, at 6:50 PM, Tom Goreau <gor...@globalcoral.org> wrote:
Biochar and rock powder should always be used together because they potentiate each other’s effects multiplicatively rather than additively.The weathering of rock powder is around an order of magnitude faster with roots growing in it than if it is lying on dead ground. Dick Holland measured 3 times faster chemical weathering of vegetated than bare basalt in Iceland. In the tropics you get a much higher ratio. In Panama I grew trees about 7 times faster with basalt rock powder than on local soil, could have grown them even faster if I had biochar there. Note how the key nutritional elements were increased in the soil, while olivine would only increase one or two of them.
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The best information about this can be found at
On Feb 18, 2021, at 7:37 AM, John Nissen <johnnis...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Robert,
Ron Larson has responded to my brief email on this thread. We could get the dominoes lined up [1] so that everyone is gunning for the “worldwide restoration of carbon and fertility to soils for nutrient-dense food” as a commitment from COP26. (I add the “nutrient-dense food” because of what Dennis is saying. If it can be done, “while we are about it”, it should be included in the commitment.)
The chief limitation on scaling up biochar to the level of 20 GtC removed per year seems to be the availability of biomass. This is where biomass for ocean algae could come in. Brian von Herzen could provide costing and the Australian government could take a lead at COP26 in this area.
There is lots on the web about Bill Gates’ solution to climate change, which seemed all about getting to net zero emissions. So I googled on “Bill Gates biochar” and came up with this from the “Sustainable Sanitation Alliance”, written by Brian von Herzen and L. Talsma in 2014 about a project which Brian is/was leading [2]. Thus I think there is a chance to get Bill Gates behind a global initiative for soil restoration.
The UK treasury has commissioned a report about putting a value on nature [3]. If we can show that RA (regenerative agriculture with biochar, nutrients, etc) can restore biodiversity, then there is an opportunity to get the UK treasury behind it – feeding into the government’s drive to show leadership in addressing the climate crisis at COP26. With financial support for RA at home and abroad, the UK could quickly offset its own CO2 emissions and start contributing to a lowering of the CO2 level. This would be a much better way forward than aggressive decarbonisation costing $trillions.
However Ron has pointed out that I am being totally unrealistic to achieve 300 ppm by 2050. The cooling value of this reduction will definitely come far too late to prevent dangerous global warming of over 2C, independent of what’s happening in the Arctic.
BTW, we need to think about a focus for our zoom meeting on Monday (8 pm GMT). It could be on the above. But the Arctic situation has become super-critical, while the Met Office and IPCC remain in denial of the danger this poses.
Cheers, John
[1] For your amusement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY-H2aUtrKI
[2] Conversion of human waste into biochar using pyrolysis at a community-scale facility in Kenya - Various documents on results from research grant
https://www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/resources-and-publications/library/details/1832
This library entry contains background documents for a grant that Brian Von Herzen is leading and which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Hi Robert,
Ron Larson has responded to my brief email on this thread. We could get the dominoes lined up [1] so that everyone is gunning for the “worldwide restoration of carbon and fertility to soils for nutrient-dense food” as a commitment from COP26. (I add the “nutrient-dense food” because of what Dennis is saying. If it can be done, “while we are about it”, it should be included in the commitment.)
The chief limitation on scaling up biochar to the level of 20 GtC removed per year seems to be the availability of biomass. This is where biomass for ocean algae could come in. Brian von Herzen could provide costing and the Australian government could take a lead at COP26 in this area.
There is lots on the web about Bill Gates’ solution to climate change, which seemed all about getting to net zero emissions. So I googled on “Bill Gates biochar” and came up with this from the “Sustainable Sanitation Alliance”, written by Brian von Herzen and L. Talsma in 2014 about a project which Brian is/was leading [2]. Thus I think there is a chance to get Bill Gates behind a global initiative for soil restoration.
The UK treasury has commissioned a report about putting a value on nature [3]. If we can show that RA (regenerative agriculture with biochar, nutrients, etc) can restore biodiversity, then there is an opportunity to get the UK treasury behind it – feeding into the government’s drive to show leadership in addressing the climate crisis at COP26. With financial support for RA at home and abroad, the UK could quickly offset its own CO2 emissions and start contributing to a lowering of the CO2 level. This would be a much better way forward than aggressive decarbonisation costing $trillions.
However Ron has pointed out that I am being totally unrealistic to achieve 300 ppm by 2050. The cooling value of this reduction will definitely come far too late to prevent dangerous global warming of over 2C, independent of what’s happening in the Arctic.
BTW, we need to think about a focus for our zoom meeting on Monday (8 pm GMT). It could be on the above. But the Arctic situation has become super-critical, while the Met Office and IPCC remain in denial of the danger this poses.
Cheers, John
[1] For your amusement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY-H2aUtrKI
[2] Conversion of human waste into biochar using pyrolysis at a community-scale facility in Kenya - Various documents on results from research grant
https://www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/resources-and-publications/library/details/1832
This library entry contains background documents for a grant that Brian Von Herzen is leading and which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
On Thu, Feb 18, 2021 at 5:38 AM Ronal Larson <rongre...@comcast.net> wrote:
Tom and Dennis, cc 7 others;1. Can you add anything on projected future costs and large scale availability of rock dust? (Not now, but when scrap dust is less available,, and when we are at the Gt/yr application level.)
2. Might adding rock dust to biochar minimize the costs of adding rock dust (and biochar if that is possible/). Unexpected synergies?
3. Any chance that there any appropriate dusts that also contains sufficient sulfur oxides that conversion to carbonates is an added CDR value?
4. Is it possible or likely that adding a light colored rock dust to biochar might help with the albedo drawbacks of biochar?
5. I aan fully aware of rock dust’s benefits - alone and with biochar. Apologies for not mentioning rock dust and its multiple aadvantgrs in my response below. Great further information at this organization (where Tom is active):6. Tom and I have known each other for many years. We (lists and individuals) need to hear more from Dennis - who probably felt uncomfortable mentioning his company at:
John
Thanks for your question about Australia’s role. As it happens, last night I attended a public talk by Jamie Isbister, Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment, on Australia’s approach to COP26 at Glasgow. I thought he spoke very well, answering many of the unfounded political attacks that the green movement has made because of Australia’s commitment to coal exports.
Ambassador Isbister is Australia’s lead negotiator on climate. He provided an update to the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture on progress toward COP 26 in Glasgow in November. Here are some of my personal notes and comments on Ambassador Isbister’s remarks.
My view is that issues here indicate potential for Australia to lead on technology innovation in climate policy, especially with soil carbon and oceans.
Australia supports the expectation of a net zero future, but this has been politically controversial, with the government refusing to agree to a 2050 target and instead saying the focus needs to be on technology to achieve progress. Australia’s role as a leading fossil fuel exporter (coal and gas) has led to it being strongly criticised by the environmental lobbies.
My view is that this criticism of Australia is unfounded, since it is based on the vacuous idea that decarbonisation of the economy can be the dominant factor to stabilise the climate, and the ridiculous ‘moral hazard’ hostility toward carbon removal and planetary brightening technology.
Isbister said the COVID virus has had big impact on momentum of climate negotiations but has placed focus on the critical centrality of science. The tiny cut in 2020 of 6.7% in emission growth is only temporary. The CSIRO 2020 report on state of the climate illustrates how strongly Australia’s science community is engaging on climate analysis.
Systemic changes require technology to meet net zero ambitions. It is not enough to stay below 2C. The Paris ratchet mechanism replaced former climate policies with a bottom up system. Isbister claimed that peer pressure is proven to bring best results, but I would dispute that given the failure of IPCC to engage on key issues around the Arctic and geoengineering.
Business commitments and energy transition investment reflect how COVID has increased climate concern to accelerate adaptation and resilience. Climate is dominating world political engagement. Australia emitted 600 mt co2e in 2010. This has fallen now to 500mt, with expectation of 480mt by 2030, meeting the national Paris commitment, which if achieved will deliver a world-leading 65% per capita cut in emissions. Australia’s energy transformation is reflected in 12 coal fired power stations ceasing operation since 2010 and an 850-fold increase in renewables on grid since 2000. Storage technology is essential to enable grid stability with renewables.
Australia’s Technology Investment Roadmap issued its First Low Emissions Technology Statement in 2020. It sets the national strategy for COP26, based on analysis of 140 technologies, with the top 5 targets being
The Moral Hazard debate has made some of these goals contentious. Isbister endorsed the (in my view wrong) IPCC view that the purpose of negative emissions is to compensate hard to abate sectors, rather than to set a path to climate restoration.
Key issues for COP include carbon markets rules and global finance goals, as well as >50 other issues. Key campaigns are on adaptation, energy, transport, nature and finance.
Nature includes blue carbon as a key solution, with 25% of emissions stored in oceans. Protection is key, with mangroves sequestering five times the amount of carbon per area as land forests.
Faith perspectives have an important role in promoting dialogue and empathy, building trust and bridges.
Soil carbon storage needs global rules to give farmers incentives and markets for long term sinks. Land offsets are not yet defined, but geospatial mapping is developing this.
In the Q&A section I asked how Australia addresses the climate stability problem that stopping sea level rise and tipping points requires CO2e to fall toward the Holocene 280 ppm CO2 level from its current 506 ppm. Ambassador Isbister said the goal of Net Zero by 2050 is critical to stop tipping points, and will require new technology for negative emissions, but caution is needed on risk of ‘balloon ideas’ to reduce temperature, considering ecological mistakes made with introduced species. Net Zero is a new language emerging in the last five years, with the 2050 target now endorsed by 130 countries. Net negative emissions will be essential, but interim steps with net zero goals are needed to ensure technology will deliver, with targets driving action for new technology.
Several other issues were discussed in questions, including how indigenous voices have been partially included, the Warsaw Mechanism for loss and damage including for forced migration and compensation for past emissions, and the role of population.
I would like to follow up by writing to the government to support its focus on the Technology Road Map, emphasising the great potential of biochar and ocean-based solutions.
Robert Tulip
From: John Nissen <johnnis...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, 18 February 2021 11:38 PM
To: Robert Tulip <rob...@rtulip.net>
Cc: Tom Goreau <gor...@globalcoral.org>; Dennis Amoroso <dennis....@gmail.com>; Bio...@groups.io; Carbon Dioxide Removal <CarbonDiox...@googlegroups.com>; Guy Reinaud <guy.r...@pronatura.org>; Douglas Grandt <answer...@mac.com>; Tom Forward <tmfo...@googlemail.com>; Ronal Larson <rongre...@comcast.net>; Brian von Herzen <br...@climatefoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [CDR] Biochar and Carbon Credits
Hi Robert,
Ron Larson has responded to my brief email on this thread. We could get the dominoes lined up [1] so that everyone is gunning for the “worldwide restoration of carbon and fertility to soils for nutrient-dense food” as a commitment from COP26. (I add the “nutrient-dense food” because of what Dennis is saying. If it can be done, “while we are about it”, it should be included in the commitment.)
The chief limitation on scaling up biochar to the level of 20 GtC removed per year seems to be the availability of biomass. This is where biomass for ocean algae could come in. Brian von Herzen could provide costing and the Australian government could take a lead at COP26 in this area.
There is lots on the web about Bill Gates’ solution to climate change, which seemed all about getting to net zero emissions. So I googled on “Bill Gates biochar” and came up with this from the “Sustainable Sanitation Alliance”, written by Brian von Herzen and L. Talsma in 2014 about a project which Brian is/was leading [2]. Thus I think there is a chance to get Bill Gates behind a global initiative for soil restoration.
The UK treasury has commissioned a report about putting a value on nature [3]. If we can show that RA (regenerative agriculture with biochar, nutrients, etc) can restore biodiversity, then there is an opportunity to get the UK treasury behind it – feeding into the government’s drive to show leadership in addressing the climate crisis at COP26. With financial support for RA at home and abroad, the UK could quickly offset its own CO2 emissions and start contributing to a lowering of the CO2 level. This would be a much better way forward than aggressive decarbonisation costing $trillions.
However Ron has pointed out that I am being totally unrealistic to achieve 300 ppm by 2050. The cooling value of this reduction will definitely come far too late to prevent dangerous global warming of over 2C, independent of what’s happening in the Arctic.
BTW, we need to think about a focus for our zoom meeting on Monday (8 pm GMT). It could be on the above. But the Arctic situation has become super-critical, while the Met Office and IPCC remain in denial of the danger this poses.
Cheers, John
[1] For your amusement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY-H2aUtrKI
[2] Conversion of human waste into biochar using pyrolysis at a community-scale facility in Kenya - Various documents on results from research grant
https://www.susana.org/en/knowledge-hub/resources-and-publications/library/details/1832
This library entry contains background documents for a grant that Brian Von Herzen is leading and which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
On Thu, Feb 18, 2021 at 5:38 AM Ronal Larson <rongre...@comcast.net> wrote: