Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Biochar for climate mitigation – facts and fears
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
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!
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
More numbers and figures
• 1 kg char buried = 3.67 kg CO2 removed
• Half-life of charcoal (biochar) in soilsPreston & Schmidt: 5 000 – 7 000 years
Lehmann: 2 000 – 3 000 yearsBird: > 100 years (grass wildfire, high oxidation)
• Half-life of biomass> 40 years (estimated)
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
32 000 years old char
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Tipping points
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Antarctic ozone Arctic summer sea-iceArctic permafrost (going on)Atlantic thermohaline circulation (NADW)El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)Indian summer monsoonSahara/Sahel and West African monsoonAmazon rainforestBoreal forestAntarctic Bottom WaterArctic ozone
Tipping points – the Humpty Dumpty effect
FG
FGFG
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
280
300
350
400
385
Risk for tipping increase considerably over 350 ppm
ppm CO2
Systems theory - climate
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Emission reductions only – is futile !
It is like cutting the branch – but doing it slower!
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
7,68
7,53
7,38
7,23
7,09
6,95
6,81
6,67
6,54
6,417,84
8,00
387 ppm
0
10
20
30
40
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019
Assume a 20% emission reduction in ten years For the entire world!
Current CO2 concentration
Reduced emissions
Gt
Car
bon
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
7,68
7,53
7,38
7,23
7,09
6,95
6,81
6,67
6,54
6,417,84
16
24
31
38
46
53
60
67
73
80
86
8,00
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019Acc
umulation
Emissions
Gig
aton
nes
Car
bon
But, carbon dioxide accumulate in the air
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Accumulated
7,68
7,53
7,38
7,23
7,09
6,95
6,81
6,67
6,54
6,417,84
16
24
31
38
46
53
60
67
73
80
86413ppm
8,00
387ppm
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
370
375
380
385
390
395
400
405
410
415
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2016 2017 2019
Atm
osph
eric
CO
2 c
once
ntra
tion,
ppm
Emissions
Gig
aton
nes
Car
bon
Thus, even an emisson reduction will lead to a disastous increase in concentration
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Gt/yr
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
Assume, a radical emission reduction
90%
This won’t solve the problems
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Gt/yr
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
But a radical emission reduction can solve the problems!
At this time,the CO2 levelstops rising !
2 Gtnet seque- stration
if it is combined withbiochar sequestration !
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
• 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
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Charcoal (biochar) addition to soils
enhance soil metabolism and quality
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Oxisol(normal rain forest soil)
Terra Preta(anthrosol: charcoal enriched oxisol)
FGFG
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Is extensive charring a threat?
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Yes,
It is not feasible to make enough char to counteract current annual emissions of 8 Gt per year
1. Just trying to do this would give carte blanche to further emissions
2. Cutting the feedstock for that would certainly be a threat to global plant (and animal) life
if it is not understood that:
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
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!
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
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
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Tax and permitfund
FG
$Payment
Permission
Emission
The PPEModel
(currently used)
The economist solution:Climate problems fromapproved carbon dioxide!
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
/C(H2O)/n
Carbon sequestration
fund$
FG
Sequestration
Validation
Payment
The SVPmodel
Another solution:Climate problems reducedby payment for sequestration!
Alleviating:•Atmospheric CO2
•Unemployment•Economy, if combined with emission tax•Global economic imbalance
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Receives tax for emissions
Receives funds for emission permits
Pays for the sequestration service
Guard obedience to rules (disobedience = no payment)
The need for supranational
initiatives: An international carbon sequestration fund
Carbon sequestration
fund
Folke Günther M Sc, Systems Ecology, Lars Hylander Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
Thank you!
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