Rice team wins Ike contest
Jaclyn Youngblood
Issue date: 1/9/09 Section: News
Caves remarked that the efficient process of pyrolyzing material under low or no oxygen conditions and in extreme heat of 400 to 500 degrees Celcius is not new - early Native American groups used the process for agricultural reasons.
The team's BioChar proposal could assist Houston not only with Ike debris, but also the city's annual 90,000 metric tons of "green waste," or biodegradable organic material such as leaves and branches.
Furthermore, if the administration of President-elect Barack Obama institutes a carbon cap-and-trade system, the carbon sequestered from the debris could be sold for $15-$25 per ton, Caves said. This would bring in new revenue for the city while cutting carbon emissions annually by the equivalent of 17,000 cars. Caves said the Biochar from the Ike debris would eliminate emissions equivalent to removing 240,000 cars for one year.
As the first place winners, the team received $10,000 presented at City Hall on Dec. 10 by Mayor Bill White. With the prize money, the team will continue research on Biochar and are also looking to build a Biochar reactor at Rice for future experimentation on campus, a project Hockaday would oversee.
Rice alumnus Ian Ragsdale (Hanszen '08) won third place and a $2,500 prize for his proposal to turn the debris into mulch for a series of urban farms that would encourage urban agriculture and produce food for the community.
The team's BioChar proposal could assist Houston not only with Ike debris, but also the city's annual 90,000 metric tons of "green waste," or biodegradable organic material such as leaves and branches.
Furthermore, if the administration of President-elect Barack Obama institutes a carbon cap-and-trade system, the carbon sequestered from the debris could be sold for $15-$25 per ton, Caves said. This would bring in new revenue for the city while cutting carbon emissions annually by the equivalent of 17,000 cars. Caves said the Biochar from the Ike debris would eliminate emissions equivalent to removing 240,000 cars for one year.
As the first place winners, the team received $10,000 presented at City Hall on Dec. 10 by Mayor Bill White. With the prize money, the team will continue research on Biochar and are also looking to build a Biochar reactor at Rice for future experimentation on campus, a project Hockaday would oversee.
Rice alumnus Ian Ragsdale (Hanszen '08) won third place and a $2,500 prize for his proposal to turn the debris into mulch for a series of urban farms that would encourage urban agriculture and produce food for the community.
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Jordan
posted 1/14/09 @ 11:25 PM CST
great job! I love reading about Rice kids combining science, environmentalism, and economic incentives into a super project that seems to benefit everyone
samueljaxon
Free Dissertation
posted 2/08/10 @ 4:40 AM CST
Great news!
Russian Singles
posted 3/18/10 @ 7:49 AM CST
Your article is fine for all its distinctive features.
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