The Hamakua Group

The reduction of GHG emissions is a primary method in the solution to climate change. More accurately the reduction in net GHG emissions, which also includes all the technologies contributing to the sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Sequestration in this setting refers to CO2's permanent or near permanent removal from the atmosphere.

The Hamakua Group intends to implement such a project of CO2 sequestration. The Initiative also provides local co-benefits to help remedy Hawaii's lack of self-sufficiency in food sourcing.

The Hamakua Biochar Initiative

Solutions and Co-Benefits

The Hamakua Group is a corporation registered in the State of Hawaii. Our interests include habitat restoration and currently the implementation of a Biochar Initiative of CO2 Sequestration on a scale new to our island of Oahu.

CO2 sequestration here refers to the use of biomass (plants) containing unstable carbon from the atmosphere via photosynthesis to create Biochar containing now stable carbon. This Biochar (carbon) is then incorporated into the soils on local farms sequestering it from the atmosphere and its role in global warming for the long term.

Here’s a concise schema of our proposed course of actions, results and significant co-benefits, The symbol "=>" abbreviates "leads to" and demonstrates the widespread impact the system offers all of Hawaii.

Waste biomass (unstable carbon) from local farms, landscaping firms, property owners, etc. ...

=> Process in energy-neutral pyrolysis furnace(s) => Biochar (stable carbon)

=> Add Biochar to compost during its composting cycle => effective agricultural soil amendment

=> Apply to Hawaii’s acid soils to increase crop yields & lessen chemical fertilizer use/expense

=> Thus decreasing costs of food production and necessity of food importation

=> Thus decreasing public food costs

=> Long-term sequestration of atmospheric CO2 as biochar (stable carbon) in agricultural soils

=> Reducing NET Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, e.g., CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.

The application of such a modern Biochar / compost soil amendment nourishes the soil microbial community which builds and maintains soil fertility and resilience. The advantages of these healthier soils include increased moisture holding capacity and the ability to more effectively transfer nitrogen to plants. Also, the reduction in soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). (Nitrogen from compost is increased due to the addition of Biochar during the composting cycle.) These advantages are apparent even during the first growing season. In livestock operations adding Biochar to manure compost significantly decreases the mixture's methane (CH4) emissions.

Considering all the above benefits, the Initiative’s over-arching solution is its Sequestration of atmospheric CO2, i.e., the conversion of biomass' photosynthetic carbon (from the atmosphere) into Biochar carbon. And burying the latter in agricultural soils, where most remains for hundreds of years.

This project is "low-hanging fruit" in the global effort to disrupt climate change. There’s a large payoff for the dollars spent, especially considering all the co-benefits beyond Sequestration itself. Its scalability allows its practical expansion to the advantage of local communities and beyond.