ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Eco tips

Biochar stoves could save millions of lives, improve soil and air quality

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
February 1, 2013
in Eco tips, Environment
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Open-fire stoves represent the biggest domestic environmental threat today, killing 3.5 million people a year—more deaths than caused by malaria and HIV/AIDS combined. But now, cookstoves that produce biochar could provide a viable alternative, saving millions of lives and giving a boost to local agriculture.

bpocjarbiochar

Cookstoves are common in many parts of the world, from Europe (mostly Eastern Europe) to Africa and the Americas. The picture above illustrates a family using such a device in western Kenya. At the same time, Gloria Torress Buitrago, a member of the Amburi indigenous community in southern Costa Rica has the same problem:

“It was hard to look around and just breathe without feeling the smoke burning the eyes or throat,” Buitrago said; one of her cousins is suffering from asthma, and the entire family is suffering more or less from respiratory conditions.

It’s estimated that half of the people in the world, over 3 billion people, use this kind of cookstoves! They virtually always cause some problems, problems which can vary from unpleasant to life threatening. A new, cleaner, but still cheap type of cookstove could do wonders for users’ health, but it can do even more – it can clean the air and enrich the soil. How so? The answer is simple: biochar.

Biochar is a a name for charcoal when it is used for particular purposes, especially as a soil amendment. Like all charcoal, biochar is created by pyrolysis of biomass – mostly wood. Biochar can not only contribute and improve mineral depleted (or just poor soil), but it can also fight global warming and clean up the air, by basically storing CO2.

biochar

Salim Mayeki Shaban, working at the African Christians Organization Network (ACON) explains:

RelatedPosts

The world didn’t meet one single biodiversity target set out a decade ago
Hungary: the toxic red sludge has reached the Danube
Increasingly fragmented habitats may spell doom for the giant panda
Greta Thunberg: “Every change in history has come through the people”

“[Women] reported that the reduction of smoke in the house decreased irritation of their and their children’s eyes, runny noses, coughing, chest discomfort, and difficulties in breathing, along with cost savings due to fewer hospital visits,” Shaban said in an email.

But the hook here is the biochar; households can make $15-20 per month by selling the biochar produced by their cookstoves to several companies who are interested in buying this resource. It may not seem like much, but if you’re living in Kenya, the odds are it is. The biochar is used in research and studies, as well as in cacao farms, large organic nurseries, and garden projects.

“All the applications made of biochar increased total soil carbon amounts, as well as soil organic matter, gains which were stable even after one year of implementation,” Hojah da Silva said. “These gains are expected to be a persistent beneficial long-term effect.” SeaChar will continue to study the effects of biochar on soil in the coming year, Donnelly said.

Via National Geographic

Tags: biocharenvironment

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Environment

9 Environmental Stories That Don’t Get as Much Coverage as They Should

byMihai Andrei
2 weeks ago
News

City trees save lives. But there’s an important “tree inequality”

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago
News

A meat tax can be environmentally friendly without affecting the poor

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago
Cacique Bepdjo [left] and Pajé Atoroget [right] from the Kayapó community, in Baú territory. Image credits: Karina Iliescu / Global Witness
Environment

Environmental activists are being killed all over for trying to protect the planet

byFermin Koop
2 years ago

Recent news

This Superbug Learned How to Feed on Plastic from Hospitals

May 20, 2025

China’s Tiangong space station has some bacteria that are unknown to science

May 20, 2025

Hidden Communication Devices Found in Chinese-Made Inverters Could Put U.S. Electrical Grid at Risk

May 20, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.