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Biochar for climate mitigation – facts and fears

Biochar for climate mitigation – facts and fears. Numbers and figures. 8 Gt carbon (C) (30 Gt CO 2 ) annually of which 2 Gt (estimated) is from deforestation Current level : 385 ppm 1 ppm CO 2 = 2.12 Gt C If therewere no natural sinks: 3.77 ppm annual increase

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Biochar for climate mitigation – facts and fears

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  1. Biochar for climate mitigation – facts and fears DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  2. Numbers and figures • 8 Gt carbon (C) (30 Gt CO2) annually • of which 2 Gt (estimated) is from deforestation • Current level: 385 ppm • 1 ppm CO2 = 2.12 Gt C • If therewere no natural sinks: 3.77 ppm annual increase • 400 ppm well before 2020! DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  3. More numbers and figures • 1 kg char buried = 3.67 kg CO2 removed • Half-life of charcoal (biochar) in soils Preston & Schmidt: 5 000 – 7 000 years Lehmann: 2 000 – 3 000 years Bird: > 100 years (grass wildfire, high oxidation) • Half-life of biomass > 40 years (estimated) DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  4. 32 000 years old char DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  5. Tipping points DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  6. FG FG FG Tippingpoints – the Humpty Dumpty effect Antarctic ozone Arctic summer sea-ice Arctic permafrost (going on) Atlantic thermohaline circulation (NADW) El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Indian summer monsoon Sahara/Sahel and West African monsoon Amazon rainforest Boreal forest Antarctic Bottom Water Arctic ozone DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  7. Systems theory - climate Risk for tipping increase considerably over 350 ppm ppm CO2 400 385 350 300 280 DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  8. Emission reductions only – is futile ! It is like cutting the branch – but doing it slower! DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  9. Current CO2 concentration 40 387 ppm 30 20 8,00 7,84 7,68 7,53 7,38 7,23 7,09 6,95 6,81 6,67 10 6,54 6,41 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019 Assume a 20% emission reduction in ten years For the entire world! Reduced emissions Gt Carbon DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  10. 100 90 86 80 80 73 70 67 60 60 53 50 46 38 40 31 30 24 20 16 8,00 7,84 7,68 7,53 7,38 7,23 7,09 6,95 6,81 6,67 10 6,54 6,41 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019 But, carbon dioxide accumulate in theair Gigatonnes Carbon Accumulation Emissions DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  11. Thus, even an emisson reduction will lead to a disastous increase in concentration 100 415 413ppm 90 86 410 80 80 405 73 70 67 400 60 60 53 395 50 46 390 38 40 387ppm 31 385 30 24 380 20 16 8,00 7,84 7,68 7,53 375 7,38 7,23 7,09 6,95 6,81 6,67 10 6,54 6,41 0 370 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019 Atmospheric CO2 concentration, ppm Gigatonnes Carbon Accumulated Emissions DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  12. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 90% 1 0 Gt/yr Assume, a radical emission reduction This won’t solve the problems DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES ppm

  13. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Gt net seque- stration 2 1 0 But a radical emission reduction can solve the problems! Gt/yr if it is combined with biochar sequestration ! At this time, the CO2 level stops rising ! DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES ppm

  14. A combination of • EMISSION REDUCTION and • CARBON SEQUESTRATION with char may solve the climate problems However, this would be an effort that would dwarf the Chinese wall, the pyramides and the first and second world war – together DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  15. Charcoal (biochar) addition to soils enhance soil metabolism and quality DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  16. FG FG Oxisol(normal rain forest soil) Terra Preta(anthrosol: charcoal enriched oxisol) DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  17. Is extensive charring a threat? DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  18. Yes, if it is not understood that: It is not feasible to make enough char to counteract current annual emissions of 8 Gt per year • Just trying to do this would give carte blanche to further emissions • Cutting the feedstock for that would certainly be a threat to global plant (and animal) life DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  19. Therefore, the charring process (pyrolysis) must be regulated • with rules for emission reductions • and ethical principles for biomass aquisition (e.g. only biomass that otherwise would decay) Here is an urgent need for supranational actions! DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  20. Is there enough biomass for 2Gt? • Global cereal production: 2 Gt • Straw: 2 Gt  0.5 Gt char • World wood fuel, 1.7 Gt  pyrolysis burning • 0.42 Gt char • paper: 0.3 Gt char • Improved household burning by the poor (Anila pyrolysing stove) • 0.4 Gt char • Changed forestry and agricultural practice (5%) • 0.6 Gt Total: 2.2 Gt char DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  21. FG The PPE Model (currently used) The economist solution: Climate problems from approved carbon dioxide! Emission Tax and permit fund $ Payment Permission DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  22. FG The SVP model Another solution: Climate problems reduced by payment for sequestration! • Alleviating: • Atmospheric CO2 • Unemployment • Economy, if combined with emission tax • Global economic imbalance Carbon sequestration fund $ Payment Validation /C(H2O)/n Sequestration DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  23. The need for supranational initiatives:An international carbon sequestration fund Carbon sequestration fund • Receives tax for emissions • Receives funds for emission permits • Pays for the sequestration service • Guard obedience to rules (disobedience = no payment) DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

  24. Thank you! DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

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