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Concrete Decarbonization: Biochar Leading a Net Zero Pathway
The second-most used material in the world, concrete production, as measured by its key ingredient “cement clinker,” is responsible for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Finding scalable pathways for the construction sector to reach net zero by 2050 is thought to be a futile exercise without a scalable, mature technology like biochar.
Join the International Biochar Initiative to learn more about how biochar can not only help reduce embedded GHG emissions in concrete, but also improve functional properties like strength and resilience to temperature extremes.
Michael is co-founder of Solid Carbon, Inc. and co-owner of Wilsonville Concrete Products (WCP, Inc.), the largest family-owned ready mix concrete producer in Oregon. Michael helped found Solid Carbon, Inc. to turn concrete into a net carbon sink using biochar-based admixtures. Prior to leading his family business, Michael had an early career in consulting and finance including roles at 8 Rivers Capital (cleantech venture capital), International Farming Corporation (real asset private equity) and McKinsey & Co. (consulting). He holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Duke University where he was awarded the prestigious Robertson Scholarship.
Lori E. Tunstall is an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines. Her research is focused on developing carbon neutral/negative concrete solutions using biochar as a partial cement replacement. She earned a joint Ph.D. in Materials Science and Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University in 2016 and continued as a postdoctoral researcher for an additional year. Princeton distinguished Prof. Tunstall with two awards during her graduate program, the Wu Graduate Fellowship in Engineering and Princeton’s Emerging Alumni Scholars Award for 2015 – 2016. Following her postdoctoral position, Prof. Tunstall joined Honeywell FM&T as a chemical engineer from 2017 to 2019, where she received the 2017 Defense Programs Award of Excellence for her contributions in solving a critical manufacturing issue.
Kathleen Draper is the US Director of the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence. The Institute is an open source network focusing on beneficial carbon sequestration strategies which simultaneously provide economic development opportunities both in the developed and developing world. In 2020 she helped launch C-interest, a start-up focused on creating biochar based composite materials. She has written extensively about various topics related to biochar and is a co-author of the book “Terra Preta: How the World’s Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce World Hunger” and “BURN: Using Fire to Cool the Earth”.