Hello everyone,
I have a question about the carbon sequestration from less durable bio-based products (e.g., animal bedding from wood chips or straw). My goal is to measure the carbon footprint of a bio-based product.
Based on my understanding, since the carbon stored in the biomass of less durable products (i.e., bio-based products with less than one-year lifespan) is turned back (released) to the atmosphere as CO2 (if the end-of-life scenario is landfilling), the carbon sequestration of these products does not contribute to climate change mitigation.
However, I found that in the long-term (
I think it is very much a question of the durability of the biomass-C in the soil, and therefore the stabilisation period of the C in the soil, as you say
For this reason there is a great deal of research taking place around the world, and perhaps particularly in China, regarding the use pyrolysis, the closed burning of biomass to form biochar (and other useful by-products). The biochar can be sequested in the soil for very long periods, in the meantime acting as a carrier for trace elements and soil fauna.
An interesting question . Once , there is an increase in organic carbon in soil on account of any practice , stabilizing that additional carbon would turn into passive carbon pool of soil , thereby , offering the required deterence aganst any potential decomposition later on . Improving carbon sink of soil is perhaps the greatest challenge of modern day agriculture , especially in tropical and subtropical regions , where mineralisation rate is much fatser than temperate regions , and retaining carbon for recalcitrance is a formidable teask , whatsoever...
Off course , of late , biochars have come into play , but much less to benefit the small farmers having smaller land holdings with a fine tuned biochar production technology at farm level. Dose of biochar is still a big question mark in a lrge scale adoption . ..
For me, yes you can do. Our main objective is to lock the carbon emissions due to increase in the activities leading to climate change and burning of fossil fuels. Agroforestry is the main business for carbon sequestration however you can do it by the concept you conceived as mentioned in the discussion. Thanks
Converting your biomass into biochar will put that carbon away for the longest period of time, maybe between thousands and tens of thousands of years in arid lands. China and India build relatively inexpensive biochar kilns, and I have seen where in the USA, the government is repurposing metal trash dumpsters and using them to produce biochar. If you line the inside of your biochar trash dumpster with ungalvanized steel sheets, then the walls will last longer. If you are just going to put the raw material out--a desert and agricultural field are the best places to put it, then a grasslands, then a forest.
I believe farmers in the US are encouraged to till in biomass to sequester the carbon so it is being done. To be considered sequestered, the carbon must be stable for 100 years so a question would be are these types of products stable for that time period?
Another aspect that could be considered regarding the "carbon sequestration of less durable bio-based products" is the quantification of inflows and the outflows of carbon-generated and carbon-sorbing sources at the natural carbon-cycle. For example the carbon flow: from the carbon stored in the biomass -based on the cultivation of energy crops- up to the biofuels production and consumption it is not an overly carbon-free process, since plantation and tillage of oil-fueled machinery can be involved, while the transportation of biofuels to the energy market/energy end-users it is also a carbon-released process. Moreover, another issue that cannot be undermined regards the social consideration or citizens’ opposition induced by an "carbon sequestration of less durable bio-based products", such as the “Food vs. Fuel” debate. Subsequently, such integrated socio-economic and environmental approaches should make the "Stabilization period of the carbon in the soil" a contentious issue, especially in the long-run.
Research microalgae cultivation and microalgae biosequestration
Good luck
Its a good proposal -- we can think of Carbon sequestration by herbs and shrubs
Interesting ideas, I think increasing terrestrial carbon sequestration sink and identifying the most sequestration endemic tree species by promoting afforestation in the region. This strategy will emphasize the carbon sink pool of the ecosystem and subsequently can stabilize and minimize the concentration of GHG gases in the atmosphere
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