The IBI webinar series connects participants to leaders in the biochar field, from business professionals to producers to academics, who present cutting-edge information, research and updates to our IBI membership. Each participant will have an opportunity to interact live with the presenter by submitting questions during the webinar, as time permits, for real-time responses.
You must be a dues-paying member to participate in these special events at no charge. Non-members may participate for a $40 registration fee. (If you are not an IBI member and would like to join, please click here). If you are a member and are not able to attend the presentation, all presentations are posted for members to watch/listen to in the IBI Member’s only area.
Archive:
Concrete Decarbonization: Biochar Leading a Net Zero Pathway
18 May 2023 11am-12:30pm ET (New York)
IBI Members, please go to the Members Only Home page for the recording and presentations.
Not an IBI member yet? Join us! Members get access to this webinar recording, as well as all past ones, among other member benefits.
Event Description
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.
Panelists
Michael Bernert, Solid Carbon
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.
Dr. Lori E. Tunstall, Colorado School of Mines
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.
Moderated by Kathleen Draper, IBI Board Chair
Kathleen Draper is IBI’s Board Chair and has been in the biochar industry for more than a decade. She has co-authored two books about biochar (BURN: Using Fire to Cool the Earth and Terra Preta: How the World’s Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce World Hunger) and written and spoken about biochar to audiences around the globe. She is the US Director for the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence, a non-profit, open-source organization focused on the use of biochar in climate farming, agroforestry as well as other industrial uses of biochar. She is also a co-founder of C-interest, a materials company working to commercialize biochar-based composites. She has a Master’s degree in Managing for Sustainability. Prior to becoming involved with the biochar world, she worked for an international consulting firm working on various internal and external areas including project and knowledge management, human resources, and more.
Carbon Business Council, International Biochar Initiative and US Biochar Initiative Present:
US Farm Bill & Biochar: Updates for a Global Audience
20 April 2023 – 11am – 12:30pm ET (New York)
Webinar recording.
Event Description
Join the Carbon Business Council (CO2BC), the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), and the US Biochar Initiative (USBI) to explore how the US Farm Bill could support expansion of biochar use in agriculture, and the implications this could have on the biochar carbon credits market, as well as the global biochar industry.
Speakers
Wendy Lu McGill – International Biochar Initiative
Ben Rubin – Carbon Business Council
Sebastian Manhart – Carbonfuture
Dr. David A Laird – Iowa State University
IBI Educational Webinar Series: The 1000 Year Question: Understanding Biochar Permanence
2/16/2023
16 Feb. 2023 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET (US)
Explore recently published research about biochar permanence with IBI partners at the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Strategies.
Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members
Registration includes access to the slides and a recording of the webinar.
Presenters:
Hans-Peter Schmidt – Ithaka Institute for Carbon Strategies
Hans-Peter Schmidt has been a pioneer in the field of biochar since 2008. He has worked on all aspects of biochar including the creation of a wide variety of biochar production equipment, biochar production in high and low technology scenarios, application techniques, field trial design, biochar characterization, and biochar education (creator of the Ithaka Journal). In addition, Hans-Peter has designed and used biochar plaster as a building material and developed nano-biochar for the skiing industry. He has extensive experience working across Europe and has worked on developing world projects as well including Nepal, Bangladesh and Cuba. He is the lead developer of the Global C-Sink certification methods.
Prof. Dr. Samuel Abiven, Professor
Dr. Samuel Abiven is a professor for terrestrial biogeochemistry at the Ecole supérieure in Paris, and science director of the Ecotron Ile de France. He studied agronomy and biogeosciences in France (ESA Angers, Université Paris VI / ENS Paris) and received a PhD in Agronomy and environmental sciences in 2005 from Agrocampus Rennes. He then moved to Zurich, first as post-doc researcher on a project looking at lignin molecules in the plants and soils. In 2008, he received a Ambizione grant from the Swiss National Foundation for Science to work on the persistence of fire-derived organic matter in soils.
Among his many peer-reviewed published papers, Dr. Abiven is a co-author on the recently released paper, “Permanence of soil applied biochar.”
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
IBI Educational Webinar Series: Forever no more – Biochar in PFAS Mitigation
1/27/2023
January 27, 2023 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET (US)
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals, have been widely used in everything from firefighting to fabric, and carpets to cookware for decades. PFAS is pervasive and persistent, commonly referred to as a group of ‘forever chemicals’ which have been found in air, water, soil, flora and fauna including the vast majority of humans. Researchers have found PFAS exposure can lead to cancer, decreased fertility, hormone suppression, obesity and more.
Until recently there have been few, if any mechanisms for removing, remediating or destroying PFAS. New research has been demonstrating that pyrolysis and gasification have the potential to destroy PFAS. Equally exciting is that the resulting biochar can be used to sorb PFAS from wastewater and soils leading to significantly healthier outcomes.
This webinar will highlight extensive and encouraging research about PFAS, pyrolysis and biochar.
Presenters:
Gerard Cornelissen, technical expert at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
Pål Jahre Nilsen, VP of Innovation for VOW will present both research findings and commercial opportunities
Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members
To Register:
Register here – Registration includes access to the slides and a recording of the webinar.
Presenters:
Gerard Cornelissen, technical expert at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
Gerard Cornelissen is a technical expert at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). He is leading the VOW project (Valorization of Organic Waste) where biochar is made from lightly contaminated waste such as sewage sludge, waste timber and biogas digestate. He is also coordinating projects on the agronomic and life-cycle aspects of biochar in Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda, currently training 8000 farmers in biochar and climate-smart agriculture. He has published 180 papers with 15000 citations.
Pål Jahre Nilsen, VP of Innovation for VOW will present both research findings and commercial opportunities
Pål Jahre Nilsen is the VP of Innovation for VOW, a company launched when ScanShip merged with Etia in 2018. He oversees the development of advanced waste management systems for Cruise, Aquaculture and land-based activities. Pyrolysis, carbon capture, biochar valorization.
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
IBI Annual Symposium: Raising Climate Ambitions with Biochar
12/06/2022
6 – 8 Dec. 2022
10am-1pm EDT
See the full agenda and register here.
AGENDA
Day 1 What is new for biochar in 2022?
Updates from IBI and our national / regional biochar association partners about commercial growth, opportunities, needs, etc.
Day 2 Quantifying biochar’s true climate potential
Examining how biochar is a powerful CDR tool for mitigation and adaptation.
Day 3 Scaling Roadmaps
A deep dive into the impact biochar can have in political decarbonization and carbon capture and storage efforts, as well as in the energy transition.
IBI Members-Only Meet & Greet
09/14/2022
On 14 September, join IBI and the global biochar industry and research communities for networking and learning opportunities with peers in an interactive online setting.
Session 1 Table Topics (1 hour):
- Carbon Markets (Hosted by IBI Sustaining Member Carbonfuture)
- Life Cycle Assessments for Biochar (Hosted by Akio Enders)
- Prioritized Research (Hosted by Dr. Johannes Lehmann, Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor, Cornell University and Dr. Claudia and IBI Board Member, and Dr. Claudia Kammann, Head of Institute, Department of Applied Ecology and Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, Hochschule Geisenheim University)
- Biochar Standards (Hosted by Akio Enders)
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (Hosted by Lucia Brusegan, IBI Board Member)
- Non-Agriculture Biochar Uses in Wastewater, Building Materials, etc. (Hosted by Kathleen Draper, IBI Board Chair)
- Catalyzing Global Biochar Industry Growth: Challenges and Opportunities (Hosted by Randall Kempner, CEO, Biochar Market Catalyst)
Session 2 Biochar Table Topics (1 hour):
- Biochar in Africa
- Biochar in Asia Pacific (Hosted by Dr. Harn Wei Kua, Associate Professor at National University of Singapore, and IBI Board Member)
- Biochar in Europe (Hosted by Harald Bier, Head of Office, European Biochar Industry Consortium)
- Biochar in Latin America
- Biochar in North America (Hosted by US Biochar Initiative)
- Branding for Biochar (Hosted by Wendy Lu McGill, IBI Communications Director)
This event will be on 14 Sept. 2022 from 9 – 11am EDT (New York) / 3 – 5pm CEST (Paris) / 4 – 6pm EAT (Nairobi) / 9 – 11pm SST (Singapore)
This event is exclusively for IBI members.
IBI Members: Please register here for the networking meeting.
IBI Members can log onto the Member’s Only section to access the registration link.
Not yet a member? Learn more!
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Biochar and the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Prize
06/14/2022
Biochar and the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Prize
June 14, 2022 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET (US)
Join the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) and the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award winners that are focused on using biochar and PyCCs to remove and store carbon, while also focusing on soil health, among other biochar use co-benefits.
Speakers
Dr. Robert C. Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University
Kevin Kung, Co-Founder & CTO, Takachar
Axel Reinaud, Co-Founder & CEO, NetZero
Dr. David Hughes, Founder, PlantVillage, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security, PennState University
Moderator: Kathleen Draper, Board Chair, IBI
Cost: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
IBI Members: A recording is available here, along with webinar slides (3 MB). They are also available via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Non-IBI Members: Non-IBI members may purchase a recording and webinar slides for a $40 fee at this link.
Presenters:
Michael Leitch – Technical Lead, XPRIZE Carbon Removal
Michael Leitch is the Technical Lead for the $100-million XPRIZE Carbon Removal, leading the technical and scientific operations of the XPRIZE competition. Mr. Leitch has a decade of experience practicing engineering, technology development, and applied research. He is trained as a machinist and holds a Masters in Engineering Management from the University of Alberta. A carbon-fiber enthusiast, outside of the office you can find him racing high performance sailboats and bicycles.
Axel Reinaud – NetZero
Axel Reinaud is the co-founder & CEO of NetZero, a climate venture leveraging biochar to perform long-term carbon removal. NetZero extract carbon from agricultural waste in tropical developing countries, and convert it into a permanent soil amendment (biochar) and electricity. This model maximises social and climate impact. Prior to launching NetZero, Axel was for 23 years at Boston Consulting Group, with various client and internal leadership positions. Axel holds a master’s degree in engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris and an MBA from INSEAD.
Kevin Kung – Takachar
Kevin Kung is the co-founder and CTO of Takachar. From 2012 to 2017, Kevin built Takachar’s core technology as part of his Ph.D. research in the field of biofuels and renewable energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where through the support of the Tata Trusts, he traveled to India extensively and designed the technology to meet specific local needs. Prior to that, Kevin had six years of experience conducting engineering design in resource-constrained settings, including borehole restoration in Uganda, interlocking stabilized construction materials in Ghana, and renewable energy systems in Kenya and India. Kevin is a 2018 Cyclotron Road (Activate) Fellow and a 2019 Echoing Green Fellow.
Dr. Robert Brown – Iowa State University
Dr. Robert Brown is Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU). He is the founding director of ISU’s Bioeconomy Institute and holds courtesy appointments in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and Food Science and Nutrition. His research interests include advanced biofuels, plastics upcycling, and carbon negative energy. Dr. Brown has written over 300 scientific papers and book chapters. He wrote Biorenewable Resources: Engineering New Products from Agriculture, widely used as a textbook around the world.
Dr. David Hughes, PlantVillage Founder, Huck Chair in Global Food Security at Penn State University and Director of USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops
Dr. Hughes works on global food security through PlantVillage, using and develop computer software, AI algorithms, and ground networks of youth and farmers to combat pests and climate change stressors at the farm level. He also founded Carbon4Good to help smallholder farmers in Africa profit from the carbon market. Dr. Hughes’ work focuses on the wicked problem of smallholder farmer adaptation to climate change coupled with biotic stressors.
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
Speakers
Biochar for Better Soilless Agriculture
05/04/2022
Biochar for Better Soilless Agriculture
May 4, 2022 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET (US)
Growing plants in a soilless environment allows the grower almost total control over the growing process (water, nutrients, pH, and uptake). Unfortunately, most raw materials for soilless substrates are quarried inorganic minerals, produced in distant countries and involve high shipping costs. Additionally, they are not often biodegradable when disposed of.
This webinar will explore the use of biochar-based growing substrate that is nutrient-rich, ready to use, and has a more climate-friendly material that can be sourced locally from renewable materials, while reducing atmospheric carbon. Additionally, the webinar will look at research showing how biochar can reduce plant disease in soilless agriculture and improve plant growth overall via the use of biochar’s ability to suppress common plant diseases.
Cost: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
IBI Members: A recording is available here, along with webinar slides (3 MB). They are also available via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Non-IBI Members: Non-IBI members may purchase a recording and webinar slides for a $40 fee at this link.
Nadav Ziv – R&D & CEO Earth Biochar
The transition to life at Kibbutz Almog exposed me to a huge problem of agricultural wastes. In the past 9 years I have built series of simple pyrolysis kilns for biochar production as a solution to the pruning problem. During these years, I experienced wood biochar practice in experimental collaboration with research institutes and universities in Israel. In 2019 I left the academic life and established Earth Biochar ltd as a partnership with Israel’s biggest composting facility (Compost OR ltd).
From 2020 we develop our biochar products using the CPP200, a continuous pyrolysis machine (Earth Systems, Melbourne, Australia). We test our CompoChar- a biochar-based growing media at our greenhouse. Our CompoChar is made of mix of agricultural and municipal green waste with municipal sewage sludge compost pyrolyzed together. Without proper care these valuable materials would burn back into the atmosphere or be buried and contaminate the soil.
(BSc- Basic Medical Science, MSc- Clinical Biochemistry, PhD- Medical Neurobiology)
Omer Frenkel – Researcher Department of Plant Pathology & Weed Sciences, Volcani Center
Omer is a researcher at the Department of Plant Pathology & Weed Sciences, Volcani Center, ARO, Israel. His primary expertise is soil-borne pathogen management and population biology of plant pathogens. Since 2011 many of his projects have focused on understanding the biochar mechanisms involved in plant diseases suppression.
(BSc- Environmental Science, MSc- Plant protection, Ph.D.- Crop Sciences)
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
Speakers
Biochar use in Capping Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
04/18/2022
Biochar Use in Capping Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
April 18, 2022 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET (US)
Abandoned oil and gas wells may number close to 29 million globally with more than 3 million in the US alone. Many of these are emitting significant amounts of methane, estimated at 2.5M tons per year. Due to methane’s outsized impact on climate change, there is increased urgency to reduce these drastically and rapidly.
Recent pilot projects in the US have demonstrated that biochar can be used to both cap wells and remediate toxins that often contaminate ecosystems around wells. Wells provide a safe, beneficial, long-term sequestration opportunity for biochar. Using biochar to cap wells can also significantly reduce the amount of concrete, the traditional material of choice for capping, thereby further reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to the production of concrete. Using a material such as biochar may also provide a more resilient cap that is less susceptible to degradation caused by seismic activity.
Mark Mersman, a co-founder of OFX EcoSolutions, will outline the process, climate and environmental benefits as well as future possibilities for using biochar to cap abandoned wells and mines.
Cost: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
To Register:
Registration includes access to the slides and a recording of the webinar.
IBI Members: A recording is available here, along with webinar slides (3 MB). They are also available via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Non-IBI Members: Non-IBI members may purchase a recording and webinar slides for a $40 fee here.
Presenters:
Mark Mersman – OFX EcoSolutions
A veteran in origination, negotiation and structuring of several successful startups and exits, Mark has helped build the exceptional teams necessary to have launched and nurture more than a dozen respected companies over the last fifteen years. Today, he is excited to be focused primarily on the development of carbon offsets through eco-focused remediation efforts within the oil & gas and mining sectors.
Prior to co-founding OFX EcoSolutions, Mark founded Offset Energy Partners, Inc. Both companies are focused on the emerging carbon markets and serve a critical role in the development of carbon offsets through providing eco-focused reclamation and remediation services within the oil & gas and mining sectors. Mark is also a founder and managing partner in Kola Venture Group which has holdings in various cannabinoid ventures focused on ailment specific therapeutics. His responsibilities there have focused on product and brand development as well as operations.
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
Speakers
Verified Carbon Removal by Smallholder Farmers
03/04/2022
Verified Carbon Removal by Smallholder Farmers
March 4, 2022 – 9:00 – 10:30 am ET (US)
Smallholder farmers in the developing world have the capacity to contribute significantly to carbon removal efforts by converting crop residues, which today are often merely burned, into carbon sequestering biochar. With this capacity smallholder farmers in the developing world can tap into the fast-growing carbon removal markets, which will only motivate them to produce biochar and reduce in-field crop burning, as well as improve farmer livelihoods and enhance food security.
Warm Heart Worldwide in collaboration with the Ithaka Institute has piloted a solution to train farmers in biochar production and use, instituted a verification process and built a blockchain-enabled platform and smartphone app that provides end-to-end tracking and puts money directly into the farmer’s hands!
This webinar will discuss the “C-Sink Tropical” program details and future plans for roll-out.
Recording and Slides Now Available:
IBI Members: Members may view the recording and download the slides (8 MB) here or via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Non-IBI Members: Non-IBI members may view the webinar recording and download slides for a $40 fee. Register here.
Presenters
Hans-Peter Schmidt – Ithaka Institute for Carbon Strategies
Hans-Peter Schmidt has been a pioneer in the field of biochar since 2008. He has worked on all aspects of biochar including the creation of a wide variety of biochar production equipment, biochar production in high and low technology scenarios, application techniques, field trial design, biochar characterization, and biochar education (creator of the Ithaka Journal). In addition, Hans-Peter has designed and used biochar plaster as a building material and is working with researchers on its use in 3D printing. He has extensive experience working across Europe and has worked on developing world projects as well including Nepal, Bangladesh and Ghana.
Michael Shafer – Warm Heart Worldwide
Michael is the co-founder and director of Warm Heart Worldwide, a grassroots community development organization serving one of the poorest districts in northern Thailand as well as several rural communities throughout Africa. He spent 30 years teaching the international political economy of development and has consulted for USAID, the US State Department, the EU and others on issues of higher education reform (the Baltic States, Poland, Moldova, and Lebanon) and with direct or partnered grant support from East-East, Prudential, USIP and others on issues of community rebuilding (ex-Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, and South Africa). Since 2008, Warm Heart has grown dramatically and has transformed the lives of many people in small, rural areas. His specialties include small-scale biochar production and use by small holder farmers.
Jason Highberger
Jason is a successful serial entrepreneur and is a Board Trustee of Warm Heart Worldwide and CEO of Biochar Life, PBC, an impact venture by Warm Heart Worldwide that supports biochar-backed carbon removal via support and collaboration with smallholder farmers. Jason is a Board Director of the Mercu Learning Point Pte Ltd, a private education center that offers a comprehensive range of early childhood educational services and opportunities for children. He has been the CEO of Highberger Enterprises since 2003 which continues to support a wide range of companies and charities.
Moderator: Kathleen Draper
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also the US Director of the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence. The Institute is an open source network focusing on beneficial carbon sequestration strategies that simultaneously provide economic development opportunities in both 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 two books “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”.
For More Information:
For more information or if you have any questions about registration please email Caroline Peat at cpeat@ttcorp.com.
Want to become an IBI member? Visit our membership page to help support IBI.
Biochar Use in Agriculture – What the Science Tells Us
01/25/2022
Biochar Use in Agriculture – What the Science Tells Us
January 25, 2022 – 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET (US)
Biochar research in agriculture has exploded over the past decade with more than 15,000 peer reviewed publications. Results can sometimes be confusing or contradictory as the methods used in different studies as well as the biochars used can differ significantly. Increasingly however, the research has shown that not only is biochar a long-term strategy for building soil carbon, but it has significant co-benefits in agriculture.
Claudia Kammann and Maria Luz Cayuela were part of a team that assessed dozens of meta-analyses published since 2016 on a large spectrum of soil biological and agronomical parameters ranging from soil properties, nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions to yields and photosynthesis. The evidence shows an overall beneficial effect of biochar for all investigated agronomic parameters. This webinar will highlight the findings from this study and discuss the impact biochar can have on agriculture more generally.
Cost: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
To Register:
Registration includes access to the slides and a recording of the webinar.
IBI Members: Members may access a recording of the webinar and download slides here via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Non-IBI Members: Non-IBI members may view a recording of the webinar and download slides for a $40 fee.
Presenters
Claudia Kammann
Hochschule Geisenheim University, Geisenheim, Germany
Professor Claudia Kammann is a Board Member of IBI and the Head of Institute within the Department of Applied Ecology and holds a Professorship for Research into Climatic Effects on Special Crops at Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany.
Maria Luz Cayuela
Maria Luz Cayuela is MSc in Chemistry and PhD in Science by the University of Murcia (Spain). At present she works at the Department of Soil Conservation and Waste Management in CEBAS-CSIC (Spain). She has developed her research career at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (ARS-USDA) (USA), the Council of Agricultural Research (Italy), Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and Cornell University (USA). Her research links soil biogeochemistry, circular bio‐economy and climate change. During the last ten years she has specialized on the impact of biochar on soil N dynamics, with special emphasis on N2O emissions.
Kathleen Draper, Moderator
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
For More Information:
For more information or if you have any questions about registration please email Caroline Peat at cpeat@ttcorp.com.
Want to become an IBI member? Visit our membership page to help support IBI.
Speakers
What is ‘the best’ biochar?
07/14/2021
What is ‘the best’ biochar?
July 14, 2021 – 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET (US)
Carbon removal through biochar creation has reached a significant moment with demand beginning to outstrip supply in certain parts of the world. As production ramps up to meet demand, many different types of biochar will be produced from different feedstocks with various thermochemical conversion technologies under different processing conditions.
Many biochar properties – biological, chemical, physical, electrical, etc. – can be manipulated through these parameters to optimize biochar for an ever-increasing number of end-uses. Because biochar producers are often more focused on organics management or renewable energy generation, they may overlook the opportunity to generate designer biochar to fit different end uses.
On the other side of the equation, biochar users are often unaware of the variability inherent in biochar. They may not know the right questions to ask of biochar sellers, or the relevant properties to look for in biochar.
This webinar seeks to demystify some of the technical jargon that explains the differences between visibly similar biochars. It will also attempt to ‘de-mythify’ some of the bolder claims made about biochar. While economic drivers and value propositions are continually developing, “What is the best biochar?” for a specific end market is often demanded by savvy consumers.
Akio Enders has more than a decade of experience with biochar production and analysis at Cornell University. He will help explain the variability of biochar and what the IBI and EBC standards do and do not reveal about different types of biochar. We will also be joined by two commercial biochar producers that have learned through years of experience about the variability of biochar and how to market different types of biochar for different end uses.
COST: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members. Registration includes access to the slides and a recording of the webinar.
To View:
IBI Members: Members may download the slides and view the presentation here or via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Akio Enders
Akio Enders has worked to support biochar research under Professor Johannes Lehmann at Cornell University for over a decade. During this time, Akio collaborated with countless students, post-doctoral associates, and scholars in multivarious biochar research ranging from greenhouse and field trials to pyrolysis stove studies to nanoscale investigation of biochar-mineral associations. Akio was first author of “Characterization of biochars to evaluate recalcitrance and agronomic performance”, as well as “Proximate analyses for characterising biochars” and “Total elemental analysis of metals and nutrients in biochars” in Biochar A Guide to Analytical Methods. Akio now strives to utilize his experience to enable widespread biochar production and application in real-world settings.
James MacPhail, Moderator
James is Managing Director of Sequest Ltd offering strategic planning and advice – on all aspects of biochar creation, usage and importantly application. He is also a Fellow and the Biochar Lead with The Climate Map and serves as a Commercial Advisor to Carbon Gold as well as the IBI. Using his qualifications from the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester – James has developed a wealth of technical knowledge over the last decade about the use of carbon-rich soil amendments based on biochar. Taking waste stream biomass to create products, which offset carbon in an environmentally benign way, directly benefiting adherence to modern environmental, social and governance principles.
For more information:
For more information or if you have any questions about registration please email Caroline Peat at cpeat@ttcorp.com.
Want to become an IBI member? Visit our membership page to help support IBI.
Speakers
Urban Forestry and Biochar
03/31/2021
Urban Forestry and Biochar
March 31, 2021 – 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET (US)
More and more cities are adopting the use of biochar in urban forestry practices since the Stockholm Biochar Project first pioneered the practice many several years ago. The benefits have long since gone beyond extending the life of urban trees to improving stormwater management. This webinar will present new perspectives on the benefits of biochar use in urban environments.
Henry Kuppen, an arboricultural consultant, and Managing Director of Terra Nostra, has been conducting research related to tree growth with biochar for the past three years. He will discuss various case studies outlining the use of biochar in planting new trees, transplanting of a nearly 100 year old trees and improving the growing environment of mature trees in Dutch metropolitan areas.
Minneapolis, MN has become a leader in urban uses of biochar thanks to the efforts of Jim Doten. Under Jim’s guidance biochar has been used to restore trees stressed from road salt, and to filter E.coli and PFAS contaminants. He has worked in collaboration with researchers at the Natural Resource Research Institute to understand biochar variability for different end uses. Jim will discuss the experiences to date as well as Minneapolis’ future plans for local biochar production.
COST: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
To view:
IBI Members: Members may download the slides and view the presentation here or via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section).
Henry Kuppen
Henry Kuppen is managing director of Terra Nostra, consultancy and knowledge centre for trees and soil in The Netherlands and has more than 30 years of experience in the tree-care sector. Henry is an innovator and develops solutions for (practical) management and policy related issues for trees in the urban environment.
Jim Doten
Jim is a licensed Professional Geologist with 35 years of experience in the environmental field. In addition to his undergraduate degree in Geology, Jim has a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management. He has over 20 years of consulting experience and has been at the City of Minneapolis Health Department for the past 11 years. Jim spent a year in southern Afghanistan with the Army National Guard as a Hydrologist on an Agri-Business Development Team. It was during this time that he first looked at biochar to improve soil health in the region. Jim has continued his biochar was with the City of Minneapolis.
James MacPhail, Moderator
James is a Fellow and the Biochar Lead with The Climate Map. He is also the Managing Director of Sequest Ltd and serves as a Commercial Advisor to Carbon Gold.
Using his qualifications from the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester – James has developed a wealth of technical knowledge over the last decade about the use of carbon-rich soil amendments based on biochar. Taking waste stream biomass to create products, which offset carbon in an environmentally benign way, directly benefiting adherence to modern environmental, social and governance principles.
For more information:
For more information or if you have any questions about registration please email Caroline Peat at cpeat@ttcorp.com.
Want to become an IBI member? Visit our membership page to help support IBI.
Speakers
The Potential for Biochar to Enhance Sustainability in the Dairy Industry
01/28/2021
The Potential for Biochar to Enhance Sustainability in the Dairy Industry
January 28, 2021 – 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET (US)
The dairy industry is facing increased pressure to reduce impacts on air and water quality, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is increasingly urgent. Regulations are increasingly causing farmers to build larger facilities or buy more land to handle excess nutrients. At the same time, the industry has been hit hard by a number of different challenges.
New methods of reducing emissions on dairy farms include the production and use of biochar, a solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. Biochar can be used as a product itself or as an ingredient within a blended product, to improve soil properties and/or resource use efficiency, to remediate and/or protect against environmental pollution, and as an avenue for GHG mitigation (IBI 2013). Biochar also offers the possibility of large-scale carbon sequestration which may lead to increased revenues for farmers of all types as carbon marketplaces begin to embrace biochar as a carbon removal product.
This webinar is a review of a paper published last year of the same name by Kathleen Draper & Shannan Sweet and funded by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Shannan will highlight some ways that biochar is being or could be incorporated on dairy farms to improve overall economic and environmental impacts. While additional benefits and uses could accrue to the entire supply chain for milk, cheese any other milk-based products, this paper focuses solely on the dairy farm itself. It reviews different entry points for biochar from its use as a feed additive, to feed storage component, bedding additive, or manure management component. It also discussed converting manure directly into biochar as a manure management strategy that could reduce storage costs and GHG emissions.
Steve McCorkle, AgWaste solutions will discuss their technology which converts dairy manure into biochar and jet fuel. Greg Campbell, V-Grid Energy, will discuss how their technology can be utilized on dairy farms to generate renewable and lower cost electricity use to run fans in hot climates while also producing biochar which can be used as animal feed or bedding substrates.
COST: Free to IBI Members or $40 for non-members.
To view:
IBI Members: Members may view a recording of the webinar and download slides here or via the Members’ Only website (go to the ‘IBI Webinar Presentations and Questions’ section)
Shannan Sweet
Shannan Sweet is a postdoctoral researcher in the Lehmann Lab at Cornell University. Her research focuses on climate change mitigation and resiliency. Her recent work includes investigating on-farm pyrolysis of dairy manure to not only address climate change but also make farms more resilient to extreme weather events, while simultaneously protecting the social and environmental wellbeing of local areas.
Stephen McCorkle
Steve McCorkle is founder and CEO of Ag Waste Solutions (AWS) and is the developer of AWS’ unique carbon regeneration solution and business model. Steve has over 35 years of successful international leadership experience, with a large part of that experience earned while managing energy and technology businesses for Schlumberger Limited – the world’s leading service and technology supplier to the oil and gas industry. Steve’s interest in regenerating waste carbon into clean burning transportation fuels developed while exploring for oil and gas in remote deserts in the Middle East. He served as Board Chair of the Animal & Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC) at North Carolina State University as he developed the AWS technology solution for distributed micro biorefineries on animal farms. Steve decided to implement the AWS solution in Southern California first because the region represents the most stringent regulatory environment in the world.
Mr. McCorkle holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University and an Executive MBA from the University of Houston.
Greg Campbell
Greg Campbell is the CEO of VGrid Energy Systems, Inc., a renewable energy company in the ag space. He is a successful entrepreneur who has taken two previous companies in the technology space through IPOs and successful acquisition. Greg did his undergraduate degree at Cambridge University in engineering and earned his doctorate in applied plasma physics at UCLA.
Kathleen Draper, Moderator
Kathleen is the Board Chair of the International Biochar Initiative. She is also 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”.
For more information:
For more information or if you have any questions about registration please email Caroline Peat at cpeat@ttcorp.com.
Want to become an IBI member? Visit our membership page to help support IBI.
Speakers
Notes
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