Biochar Traps Water and Fixes Carbon in Soil, Helping the Climate. But It’s Expensive
As droughts become longer, the soil additive could save on irrigation water and, if mass produced, might compete with energy sources such as oil and gas.
December 11, 2020
A farm worker applies biochar in the field during a demonstration at a farm near Windhoek, capital of Namibia, on Oct. 8, 2020. Credit: Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua via Getty Images
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Biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from burning organic materials in a low or zero-oxygen environment, can improve the quality of soil and trap carbon dioxide in the earth for potentially hundreds, or even thousands, of years.