Biochar, a stable charcoal made from heating urban, agriculture and forestry waste via pyrolysis, reduces the carbon footprint of modern farming while boosting soil fertility. A comprehensive study published in GCB Bioenergy shows that biochar builds organic carbon in soil by up to 20 percent and can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from soil by 12-50 percent. Biochar helps plants resist environmental stresses, says biochar expert Steven Joseph, who has researched its benefits since he learned about it from indigenous Australians. Indigenous peoples in Australia, Africa and the Amazon have used biochar for centuries.
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