No Laughing Matter: How can Charcoal Help Tame a Greenhouse Gas?

In 10 seconds? Scientists demonstrated that biochar, a type of charcoal, applied to soils can reduce nitrous oxide emissions by up to 73%, and ammonium leaching by up to 94% in soil. This is an important discovery at a time when the world staggers under climate change and environmental degradation.

Nitrous what?! Nitrous oxide (N₂O) – also known as ‘laughing gas’. Like CO₂, nitrous oxide is a long-lasting greenhouse gas that accumulates in the atmosphere. However, N₂O is about 300 times as potent as CO₂, and increasing atmospheric N₂O concentrations have contributed to stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.