Biochar as a CDM, Terra Preta

Here is an article that just came across the ECOLOG listserv on biochar, and it made me think of one of the things that my lab and Mark Bush's lab (and a ton of other labs) are working on in the Amazon, and that is past human modification of soils.  Terra Preta is similar to what this new CDM is proposing.  I think we would be in a position to leverage our research if we thought this was viable on a reasonable scale for agriculture in Madre de Dios.

Just as a primer, biochar is basically charcoal, and charcoal is incredibly stable in soils.  You put it in and it stays there for 1000s of years.  So, if you can make biochar without emitting too much CO2, you can put it into a long term soil compartment and then sell the offset.  More than that, you can still do agriculture on top of the land.  So, for the Malinowski Corridor, this might be another arrow to put in our quiver.

On 11/12/2008, Ryan Hottle <globalclimatesolutions@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Climate Solution Thinkers:
> BREAKING NEWS!
>
> Biochar, the carbon-negative soil-improving energy biproduct, has made an
> incredible series of breakthroughs at the UN Climate Change Conference in
> Poznan, Poland.
>
> The International Biochar Initiative, www.biochar-international.org,
> announced today that Biochar is now being examined by the UNFCCC (United
> Nations Council on Climate Change) for status as part of the CDM (Clean
> Development Mechanism.)
>
> It's verifiable, it produces clean energy, it improves soils, it reverses
> desertification, it improves water quality, it could drive millions out of
> poverty, and it may be one of humanity's single greatest tools for
> mitigating and adapting to climate change.
>
> Read more about "it" on our website: www.GlobalClimateSolutions.org
>
> Respectfully,
> Ryan D. Hottle

Future of carbon market

An interesting article concerning valuation of the forest. IMPT: Interviewee mentions that "living carbon" is likely to refer to carbon credits that come from the forest...

An interview with Dr. Andrew Mitchell of the Global Canopy Program:
Markets could save rainforests

Folks- the issue with this is that this type of project cant be sold as either a carbon or biodiversity offset. In the end it is really a philanthropic donation in fancy clothing.
If done well, it creates a concrete and verifiable product in exchange for your donation. That could appeal to people who want to donate but don't feel confident that their donations go to real conservation.

I would emphasize that this type of deal should be set up with payments based on performance. Upfront payments need to be modest and future disbursements should come when conservation targets are met.

Biobank and the biodiversity certificate

One of the things that makes living carbon offsets so attractive is that it helps preserve biodiversity. They are "gourmet" or "boutique" because of this added value. Steve sent me this email with a link to the Malua Wildlife Habitat Conservation Bank, which sells conservation certificates for rainforest in Sabah. The idea is to conserve orangutan habitat. According to the site and this press release, they're selling off the forest in 100m2 chunks. There are 100 of these chunks in a hectare...even at a minimal price this makes Ajay's idea of separating the biodiversity from ecosystem services (carbon sequestration) sound appealing. And profitable.

This is an interesting new model for biodiversity markets launched by New Forests and partners today. They are issuing ‘biodiversity conservation certificates’ that represent 100 square metres of rainforest conservation and protection – a sort of share in a 50 year conservation project on a 34,000 ha concession from the Sabah Govt. I have talked to them about the potential for using CCB Standards (delinked from the carbon quantification) to provide some sort of independent validation of the multiple benefits of the project although this needs further thought. I am glad to see they have made it clear that these certificates can not be considered as any kind of biodiversity offset which was a concern raised by BBOP.

http://www.maluabiobank.com/20080814_malua_biobank_release.pdf

Biodiversity goes to market

This article from IPS investigates the Brazilian's work on the issue:

BRAZIL: Biodiversity Goes to Market
By Mario Osava

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 5 (IPS) - Biodiversity, like the proverbial prophet, is not without honour save in its own country: it tends to be valued more highly abroad than at home. Brazil is now trying to become an exception to the rule by commercialising its native species on a large scale.

Brazil's biodiversity reserves are the greatest in the world, but so far it has seen little hard cash in return for its natural resources. It leads the world in production or export volume of coffee, cane sugar, soya, orange juice and beef, but these are all exotic, rather than native, species.

Only a few of its native plants, not all of which are exclusive to this country, are marketed to any extent nationally and abroad: peanuts, cassava, cocoa and mahogany. (Read the full article.)

Amazon your business

In addition to carbon offset markets and ecosystem services markets, there are the run-of-the-mill, plain old markets. Commerce. Meindert Brouwer has (self?) published a new book called "Amazon your Business: Opportunities and Solutions in the Rainforest." This might be a worthwhile read. From the website:

The book explains how markets work for forest conservation, development cooperation and poverty alleviation. It contains interviews with ministers, entrepreneurs, consultants, leaders of international organisations and local villagers. A network section with contact info and important websites is included.

And, I mean, check the reviews, like: Brouwer interviewde een onwaarschijnlijk palet aan deskundigen en ministers. Het is bovendien een buitengewoon fraai fotoboek geworden.

How could you go wrong? The price is ~35 euros.

REDD: a primer

One of the main carbon market tools for conservation--maybe the main tool--are what are called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, aka REDD, offsets. Erin Meyers has written a nice overview on issues surrounding REDDs. The article is based on a larger report on REDDs from Resources for the Future.