A new UN report on Global Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions debuted at COP29 this week with a dire warning that urgent action is needed to dramatically reduce human caused N2O emissions. N2O, also known as laughing gas, is a potent greenhouse gas, with nearly 300 times more warming potential than CO2, has been on the rise largely due to increased use of synthetic fertilizer and livestock manure. In addition to warming the planet, N2O causes air pollution and contributes to ozone depletion which leads to more skin cancer and eye problems.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that solutions exist to dramatically reduce emissions, one of which is biochar which can help in multiple ways including:
- Significant research has been done on the impact biochar can have on anthropogenic N2O emissions from soils and the results are promising. A relatively recent meta-analysis indicated that biochar can reduce soil related N2O emissions (caused by excessive use of synthetic nitrogen) by nearly 20% whereas spreading manure as a fertilizer enhances emissions by more than 17% (Shakaor et al 2021).
- In lieu of spreading manure or digestate on soils, converting this biomass to biochar will dramatically reduce both N2O and methane emissions during storage and application.
- Biochars can reduce the amount of fertilizer needed thereby reducing emissions from fertilizer production which is made from fossil fuels.
- Biochar can reduce Nitrogen leaching into nearby waterbodies which leads to N2O emissions.
- Coal fired power plants emit N2O, so by displacing fossil fuel energy with pyrolysis or gasification, emissions can be reduced.
- Open burning of crop residues accounts for up to 10% of all man-made N2O emissions. Carbonizing them in appropriate clean burning kilns, can dramatically reduce such emissions.
- Sewage sludge and septic systems are also N2O emission sources. As with manures, carbonizing this organic material dramatically reduces emissions.
Incentivizing reductions through carbon markets would be a great way to promote the use of biochar as a pathway to N2O emissions for farmers and others generating N2O emissions. Who will be the first to develop these types of incentives?
Sources
ESSD – Peer review – Global nitrous oxide budget (1980–2020) (graphic source)
https://phys.org/news/2024-06-human-nitrous-oxide-emissions-grew.html
What Is Nitrous Oxide and Why Is It a Climate Threat? – Inside Climate News
Why laughing gas is a growing climate problem | Stanford Report
Main sources of nitrous oxide emissions | What’s Your Impact
