The Biochar Podcast ANZBIG

ANZBIG celebrates Water Week by focusing today's episode on Biochar in Water: Enhancing Water-Holding Capacity for Economic Growth and Healthy Ecosystems.



Cluster Manager Sam Zagami is joined by Wendy Timms from Deakin University, where they explore biochar's water-holding capacity and its role in promoting healthy ecosystems and driving economic growth. They also delve into its positive impact on soil moisture and carbon storage, its contributions to drought resilience and food security, and more.



Wendy brings over 30 years of experience in water and porous earth engineering projects, research, and training. As a Chartered Engineer (Civil/Environmental) and environmental scientist, she has worked in consulting, government, and academia. Wendy currently serves as a Professor of Environmental Engineering at Deakin University, where she teaches waste-to-resources engineering, water engineering, and geology. She leads a dedicated research team in areas such as water and energy below ground, carbon sequestration, and biochar.



You can connect with Wendy through ANZBIG at anzbig.org or reach out to her directly at wendy.timms@deakin.edu.au

Join us as Craig Bagnall, Director of SEATA Group and Catalyst Environmental Management, as well as an Executive Board Member of ANZBIG, speaks with Sam Zagami, ANZBIG Cluster Manager. Together, they delve into the compelling potential of biochar in displacing fossil carbon. In this enlightening podcast episode, Craig explores both soil and non-soil applications of biochar, presenting global examples that showcase its diverse usage. Discover how biochar can effectively draw down carbon and learn about the instrumental role the Australian Biochar Industry 2030 Roadmap plays in propelling biochar into the mainstream in Australia and New Zealand.

We are back! Our last podcast in 2022, ANZBIG was fundraising for the Biochar Summit and the world-first Biochar Roadmap. In June this year 2023, we launched the Australian Biochar Industry 2030 Roadmap. For our first episode back after a little hyatis Cluster Manager Sam Zagami speaks with ANZBIG CEO Don Coyne giving a snapshot of what ANZBIG has been doing over the past year: The journey from the Biochar Summit last year, ANZBIG international events, launching the Roadmap in June this year and the plan moving forward for ANZBIG.



To get read the roadmap and get involved head to our website https://anzbig.org/biochar-industry-2030-roadmap/

Philip Link and Michael Hallam from EnergyLink Services discuss the key changes to the Puro.earth biochar carbon removal methodology, the implications and opportunities of these changes, market dynamics, the role of verification and how they see the market evolving on the supply and demand side.

To find out how your project can be Puro.earth verified reach out to Philip at EnergyLink Services.

Contact Details: E: philip@energylinkservices.com.au, W: https://www.energylinkservices.com.au

On today's episode we discuss the testing requirements for biochar to meet ANZBIG’s Code of Practice for the new sustainable production and use of biochar in Australia and New Zealand. To help us discuss the topic we have Graham Lancaster, Senior Manager - Commercial & Research Operations, at Environmental Analysis Laboratory / Analytical Research Laboratory at Southern Cross University. 

Graham shares:


What biochar testing suites EAL is offering and how it meets the requirements of ANZBIG’s Code of Practice 
What are the critical tests that biochars need to pass and what producers and users should look out for when analysing their biochars 
What qualifies a laboratory to be NAATA Certified and why its important to use accredited labs for analysing chars

On today's episode we will be discussing a scientific paper just out entitled How biochar works and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar

We discuss: 


The key or most consistent properties and benefits of biochar 
The key components and stages of the mechanisms of biochar effects on soil and plants 
Biochars role in supporting food security 
The effects on climate change mitigation
Biochar’s role in the circular economy

Our guest today is Annette Cowie from NSW DPI & Univ New England. Annette has a background in soil science and plant nutrition, with particular interest in sustainable resource management. She contributes to development of climate change policy and GHG mitigation in the agriculture sector, including GHG accounting for emissions trading at state, national and international levels. Annette was a lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and Land, and is a lead author in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report.