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USBI Conference 2012
Initiative News
December 31, 2024
CAL FIRE Green Schoolyards Projects Use Biochar
In October 2023 Sonoma Ecology Center received two planning grants from CAL FIRE to provide “greening” features and designs for 12 elementary schools in underserved communities, including 4 in Santa Rosa and 8 in Pittsburg (in the East Bay Area). We were also able to add two schools in the West Contra Costa USD to […]
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Initiative News
October 24, 2024
Biochar Bioswale Ribbon Cutting Event
SEC participated in an educational outreach day at the VeggieLution Urban Farm in San Jose recently that included presentations on biochar and a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the biochar-infused bioswale project that was a collaboration between Earth Foundries, ReScape, the Santa Clara RCD, Sonoma Ecology Center, and farm staff and volunteers. The […]
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Biochar General
October 23, 2024
Emissions Testing Update on Flame Cap Kilns and Conservation Burns
The Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) has been training foresters and agricultural producers how to process their surplus biomass into biochar for 10 years using the conservation burn and flame-cap kiln methods. When conducted correctly these techniques produce significantly less smoke pollution as well as convert carbon into a highly beneficial soil amendment. In 2023, in partnership with […]
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Initiative News
August 7, 2024
New Comprehensive USFS Report Comparing Burn Piles, Flame-Cap Kilns, and Air Curtain Burners for In-Forest Processing
Check out this fantastic new resource with Kelpie Wilson as one of the lead authors! https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_series/rmrs/gtr/rmrs_gtr439.pdf
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Initiative News
March 31, 2024
Women In Biochar
There was a great panel discussion with 5 women movers and shakers in the biochar industry at the USBI conference in Sacramento earlier this year. The USBI website has a transcript of that discussion here, and the video of the session should be available as well in a few weeks. We definitely need more women […]
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Initiative News
March 30, 2024
Great Article on Biochar From “Inside Climate News”
Check out this just-published article from Inside Climate News. It highlights a bill now in congress that would allocate $50 million per year for biochar research through 2028. What a difference this would make! Sherrod Brown and Chuck Grassley are both supporters so it is even bipartisan! Thanks to Kim Chaffee for the tip!
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Initiative News
March 30, 2024
IBI/USBI Biochar Marketing Study
You can now download a major, worldwide marketing study on biochar developed from a survey of producers and others involved in the biochar industry in 2023. The most comprehensive overview to date of the industry produced by two major biochar advocacy organizations. Check it out!
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Initiative News
January 9, 2024
SEC/SBI Highlights from 2023
2023 Highlights 2023 was a busy year for those of us in the biochar industry and we continue to see growth in research, production, education, and use. We were active in all of these areas in 2023 and we’re looking forward to another busy year in 2024. Here are some highlights from the biochar program at Sonoma […]
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Initiative News
January 9, 2024
Low-Tech Biochar Production Emissions Testing in the Usal Forest
Sonoma Ecology Center was part of a team that recently conducted emissions tests on three different methods of processing surplus forestry material: the conservation burn technique, a flame-cap kiln, and standard open burn piles. Funded by a grant from CAL FIRE awarded to the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District, SEC worked with partners […]
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Initiative News
January 9, 2024
USBI Biochar Conference Comes to Sacramento!
The U.S. Biochar Initiative’s national biochar conference is coming to Sacramento February 12th – 15th. Here is the link: https://www.biocharconference.com
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