'Green' charcoal (biochar research) gets $1.4m (Australian)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2009/05/21/80601_national-news.html

'Green' charcoal gets $1.4m

David McKenzie

May 21, 2009

THE Rudd Government today announced $1.4 million for the biggest biochar research project in Australia's history and one of the biggest in the world.

Agriculture Minister Tony Burke announced the funding today under the Government’s http://www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/australias-farming-future/climate-change-and-productivity-research">Climate Change Research Program in a move that comes after the federal Coalition recently nominated biochar as a key element of its climate change policies.

The http://www.csiro.au/">CSIRO will co-ordinate the three-year project which will look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar">biochar’s potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost farm productivity.

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"This will be a significant project for Australia and for the global community," Mr Burke said. "Expert groups including the CSIRO have been calling for more research to address substantial 'knowledge gaps' in relation to biochar."

Biochar is a fine charcoal, produced when organic matter such as wood or crop waste is burnt without oxygen. It has potential to store carbon from the atmosphere in soil and could be used to help offset greenhouse emissions. Other potential benefits include storing more nutrients and water in soil and reducing acidity.

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