New Bill to Explore Biochar Potential

On September 24, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and four cosponsors introduced the Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting and Restoration (WECHAR) Act of 2009 (S. 1713) . The bill would establish loan guarantees to develop biochar technology using excess plant biomass and would establish biochar demonstration projects on public land.

Biochar technology could be a win-win for mitigating climate change, helping agriculture adapt to climate change, and restoring and building soil fertility. It is made by heating organic material (e.g. forestry and crop residues) to a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment. The pyrolysis process also produces gas and bio-oil which can be used to fuel the process. When used as a soil supplement, biochar increases soil fertility and moisture retention, and it stays in the soil for hundreds of years, sequestering carbon. A comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility and potential long-term effects of producing and using biochar on a large scale has not yet been undertaken. The proposed legislation would advance research and development. The bill has been referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

For more information on biochar, click here .