Chris Young writes:

I am delighted to see that pyrolysis has made the news this week.

Essentially, pyrolysis is the process by which wood turns to charcoal and how roast potatoes become crispy (or turn to charcoal, depending on how long you leave them in the oven). By cooking organic material at temperatures below ignition point, in the absence or near-absence of oxygen, you can obtain a solid fuel. When made with  biomass (a carbon-neutral, renewable resource), the resulting charcoal is known as biochar.

These solid fuels, which are usually relatively clean-burn, can be used instead of coal; potentially, we can use existing coal power stations (and any future ones, although that’s another story…), along with the associated technology (such as the experimental carbon capture and storage) as a major part of a sustainable energy policy.

Pyrolysis is also an excellent way of sterilising and disposing of many types of waste, including sewage (which might otherwise pollute seas and waterways) and medical waste (which might otherwise be incinerated with no energy gain). Where recycling is impractical, or where the energy and chemical inputs in the recycling process are disproportionate, pyrolysis should be considered as an alternative: it is certainly better than landfill, which – as well as blighting both the local and global environment – costs us all heavily in Council Tax.

Beyond this, pyrolysis can also be used in carbon sequestration – the long-term “storage” of carbon in organic matter in a safe form (rather than releasing it through burning). Biochar can even be used as a soil improver and help with reforestation.

Of course, pyrolysis is not the only green technology, but is one which has been overlooked by many until recently. I will personally be pushing for this particular technology to move up the agenda, joining the Liberal Democrats’ specific pledges on projects such as offshore wind.

What we need is a government committed to invest in green technology, prepared to pay for the research and to reap the benefits. This would not only help the planet, but it will save us all money and create real jobs. This is one of the Liberal Democrats’ four steps to a fairer Britain and a key plank of Liberal Democrat policy. That is one of the reasons I am a Liberal Democrat.