Biochar Fund - fighting hunger, deforestation, energy insecurity and climate change

Biochar Fund selected to present its concept for the Manchester Report

The Manchester Report on Climate change global warming biochar fund carbon sequestration Louvain, June 20, 2009 - The Biochar Fund is pleased to announce that its concept has been selected as one of the twelve ideas to be presented during the Manchester International Festival's event titled "The Manchester Report". The event is an initiative by the Guardian. Its aim is to present the best and most innovative ideas to fight climate change. The ideas will be scrutinized by an expert panel and by a live audience.

The Manchester Report will be distributed to policymakers to help shape the debate leading up to December’s critical United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Both event and report will be prominently promoted by the Guardian and the BBC, raising awareness of the most promising schemes.

After a public invitation to submit ideas to tackle climate change, the Guardian and Manchester International Festival selected 12 successful applicants. All types of schemes were considered: technological, scientific and behaviour-changing.

The 12 successful applicants are given the opportunity to present their ideas to a high-calibre panel of experts in front of a live audience at Manchester Town Hall on the weekend of 4 and 5 July. For the Biochar Fund it is Laurens Rademakers who will present the organisation's concept.

The panel, chaired by Lord Bingham, will rate the various projects for feasibility, impact and business potential. The results will form the basis of The Manchester Report, a low-carbon road map to be published at the end of the Festival.

Free tickets are available to attend the weekend’s discussions as an audience member, here .

More information:

The Manchester Report at the Manchester International Festival .

The Manchester Report - the dossier at the Guardian .

Latest science news

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The July issue of Geotimes , a publication of the American Geological Institute, will focus on the biochar revolution. A short, introductory video can be watched here .

(June 3, 2008) Best Energies' Adrianna Downie discusses her company's integrated pyrolysis-gasification technology and biochar trials. Find more under the 'Biochar Research' section .

(May 27, 2008) NASA's Dr James Hansen includes biochar as one of the key carbon-negative energy technologies needed to achieve a reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels to 350ppm. Read the paper in the 'Biochar Research' section .

(May 23, 2008) U.S. Farm Bill Includes Biochar Research. Read the press release .

(March 31, 2008) A new report on the environmental implications of biochar as a soil amendment, written by postgraduate researcher at Swansea University, Dominic Woolf, is now online. Read the paper here or find the reference under Biochar Research .

More news in the Science News Archive .