How can we use Terra Preta?
Burning or charring biomass has several benefits. If biochar (remnants after burning biomass) is redistributed back into the soil it replenishes it and maintains nutrient content, higher water/nutrient retention, thus producing higher yields of crops with smaller plots of land using less pesticides. Burning the biomass reduces landfill waste while also providing energy resources, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. The process is essentially carbon-free, as all carbon produced is returned to the soil and absorbed by planting. The ability to artificially create nutrient rich soil while simultaneously providing energy and waste reduction has serious global environmental benefits. Conceptually, regions ravished with poor farming practices which left landscape wastelands of barren soil could be given a “second chance” at providing food for impoverished lands. Michael Pollan has written extensively about the necessity for a complete overhaul of our food infrastructure. A system created thr
