The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) is getting ready to host its fall Illinois Biochar Group meeting. Meetings are held three times a year and are usually located at ISTC. The Illinois Biochar Group encourages research in the production and use of biochar including the project topics: soil amendments, site remediation, carbon sequestration, and supercapacitors.
The Agenda for this meeting is:
10:30 am Tour of Labs (optional)
11:00 am Welcome and Introductions by attendees
11:15 am Kevin Gibson – Purdue University
“Effect of Biochar on Competition between Native and Invasive Prairie Plants”
Noon – 1:00 pm Lunch – Box lunches or on own – and Open Discussion
1:00 pm Duane Friend – University of Illinois Extension
“Biochar Application on Low Organic Matter Soils in Illinois”
1:15 pm Kurt Spokas – USDA – St. Paul; University of Minnesota
“Biochar Research Update”
1:30 pm Audrey Sweet – Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
“Incorporation of Biochar into Riparian Buffers”
1:45 pm Krishna Reddy – University of Illinois – Chicago
“Use of Biochar as Landfill Cover Material to Enhance Methane Oxidation”
2:00 pm Tom Holm – UI Illinois State Water Survey
“Biochar and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)”
2:15 pm Junhua Jiang – UI Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
“Preliminary Evaluation of Biochar Supercapacitors using Non-Aqueous Electrolytes”
2:30 pm Rick Larson – UI Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Sciences
“Phenolic Antioxidants from Lignin Pyrolysis”
2:45 pm Paul Wever – Chip Energy, Inc.
“Biochar Feedstock Supplies”
3:00 pm Paul Anderson – Chip Energy, Inc.
“Experiences at the First Biochar Summer School (Sept. 2012, Germany), and Other International Topics”
3:15 – 4 pm Coffee Break and Open Discussion
4:00 pm Tour of Labs (optional)
The meeting will be held in the SJW Conference Room at ISTC (One E. Hazelwood Dr., Champaign, IL 61820) on November 16, 2012. This meeting is an opportunity to learn about the latest biochar research in the Midwest, exchange information and ideas, and discuss ways to collaborate on future projects. The meeting is free and open to the public. Everyone with an interest in biochar is welcome to attend and can register at http://www.biochar.illinois.edu/registration.cfm. Those who register can also order a box lunch for $6 (choices listed on the registration form). Deadline to register is noon on Nov. 14. Please contact Nancy Holm, IBG Coordinator, at naholm@illinois.edu or 217-244-3330 with any questions about the meeting.
Illinois Biochar group is affiliated with the International Biochar Initiative. For News Briefs on biochar research from the US and around the world see http://www.biochar-international.org/newsbriefs.