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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
Hampton could pioneer way in fighting global warmingHAMPTON— A grassroots community project in Hampton developing a technique used in the Amazon rain forest hundreds of years ago could help provide a tool to fight global warming and to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The city is working with NASA Langley Research Center, Old Dominion University and master gardeners on producing biochar in Hampton. Other organizations such as the Clean City Commission are on board. The process invoves taking waste biomass — trees, grass and leaves — and smoldering it in a specially made drum that deprives it of oxygen in a process called pyrolysis. The biomass is turned into charcoal. Although Hampton isn't the first location to make biochar, officials say it is leading the way in the partnership in which the product will be used as a soil enhancer. Darren Robinson of Hampton's Community Development Department, and Doris Hamill of NASA Langley, gave an update on the project at the Sept. 22 City Council meeting. Robinson said the biochar project could become another first in a city known for having some of the first public schools in the nation and the first schools to educate African Americans. "This is something that if we work on it will be another national standard," he said. City Manager Mary Bunting described the partnership as "another Hampton first." NASA Langley recently approached the city about the biochar project, Robinson said. He said the gardeners have been working on how the biochar can make infertile ground more fertile. "In the city there's a lot of land that we have that might be infertile," he said. "To be able to use this land again would be very helpful. The master gardeners have come up with what they think is a very good mix of biochar and soil." A test run was performed at NASA Langley in August when the first biochar was successfully produced. A prototype will be taken to Blue Bird Gap Farm for demonstrations on Nov. 16 and 17. And the biochar which is mixed with soil can be used by the master gardeners, 4-H clubs in Hampton and the Peninsula Master Naturalists. Hamill told the Daily Press rich soils had been found in the Amazon region, pointing to the use of the technique in South America. The technology is 3,000 years old, she said, and is traced back to ancient civilizations. She said the advantage of biochar is that it holds carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere by the mulch. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas associated with global warming. "It is exciting and there's a large-scale national community that is looking at biochar very seriously for industrial scale processes using it in large-scale agriculture and things like that. The problem is that the economics are not right for large scale use yet," Hamill said. "If we can do this on a small scale with volunteer labor and local production we can get away from the large-scale inefficiencies that are stifling biochar as a national movement." She said a grassroots project could provide a "package" to other communities that want to follow Hampton's lead. Robinson said he discovered ODU was also working on biochar in relation to its use for filtration. "We have looked at ways it can be used to protect the Chesapeake Bay because this is one of the biggest estuaries in the country and it's a vital part of Hampton. We have looked at using biochar in water retention ponds to help filter out the run-off and chemicals that are going into our waterways." He said ODU is testing the use of biochar in cleaning up waterways. He said small businesses in Hampton will be asked to look at the feasibility of "mass producing" biochar. Robinson spoke about the feasibility of setting up neighborhood biochar projects. The idea is to get more people using biochar for gardens. "We are looking at a golden opportunity to use the resouce of this biomass that we have everywhere." What is biochar? With Permission of Dailypress.com
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