| Biomass is an interesting concept and a vital part of | | | | build up humus while adding nutritients, including |
| our alternative energy possibilities. | | | | nitrogen, to the soil. |
| Biomass: Plant material, vegetation, or agricultural | | | | As an added bonus, when well managed, these |
| waste used as a fuel or energy source. American | | | | energy crops provide a habitat for wildlife because |
| Heritage Dictionary 2006 | | | | energy crops usually have greater plant diversity. |
| Generally, the term biomass refers to biological | | | | For the American society, biomass provides another |
| material which is living or recently dead. When you | | | | important benefit. We all expect that fuel cells will |
| put sticks together and build a fire that you use to | | | | provide a likely replacement for the internal |
| cook meals, that is a use of biomass. It would be | | | | combustion engine. In the meantime, biomass may |
| accurate to say that biomass has been central to the | | | | provide a vital link in this transition. Going from fossil |
| advancement of human civilization. | | | | fuels to a hydrogen economy will mean a significant |
| In fact, biomass served as the primary source of | | | | amount of economic dislocation. Ethanol is liquid oil. It |
| energy though the ancient world, at least until | | | | is produced from biomass and is a valuable additive in |
| "modern" societies engaged in widespread | | | | petroleum based gasoline. |
| deforestation. | | | | Today we find that the ethanol is produced most |
| Often, when you find the term "biomass" used, it is | | | | often from corn kernels. This is a carbohydrate-based |
| referring to plant material which is grown specifically | | | | product and has a relatively simple chemical structure. |
| for use as a biofuel. It can also include plant or animal | | | | While it seems to be a relatively efficient additive, it |
| matter grown especially for use in the production of | | | | has proven to be a disaster in the world food |
| fibers, chemicals, or heat. You could also use | | | | market. |
| biodegradable waste products that are burnt as fuel. | | | | Many environmentalists do not support the corn |
| That would be biomass. | | | | based ethanol. While many of the energy crops are |
| One would think of fossil fuel as a biomass, since it | | | | relatively benign, corn based is not as it requires large |
| was once, eons ago, biological material, but it is not | | | | inputs of energy, labor, and chemicals and, most of |
| considered as such. Even though the material was | | | | all, water. |
| originally biomass, it has been out of the cycle long | | | | Many other ethanol production methods promise |
| enough to be considered a geological material. A | | | | better results. For example, converting bagasse (a |
| more proper definition of biomass would consider | | | | byproduct of sugar production), rice straw, and tree |
| fossil fuels as not being biomass because they | | | | cuttings into ethanol has been promising. If these |
| contain carbon that has been "out" of the carbon | | | | efforts are successful, then ethanol could at last |
| cycle for a very long time. So now their combustion | | | | become an important and cost-effective method of |
| would disturb the carbon dioxide content in the | | | | reducing gasoline consumption. |
| atmosphere. | | | | "Scientists around the world are progressively |
| Any written work on agriculture would let you know | | | | developing new methods for producing ethanol using |
| that energy crops are chosen very specifically, and | | | | cellulose-based resources with the hope of |
| are chosen for the purpose of energy production. | | | | discovering more cost efficient and environmentally |
| The different agricultural species are selected to | | | | benign options." (Powering our Future, Alternative |
| minimize labor, for energy requirements, as well as | | | | Energy Institute Kimberely K Smith 2005) |
| their environmental impact. | | | | Cellulase is an enzyme which is extracted from |
| You will find that energy crops will provide numerous | | | | bacteria to break down cellulose which can be |
| benefits over food crops, but especially this; energy | | | | fermented to form ethanol. Professor Kathleen |
| crops provide four to five times more energy than is | | | | Danna at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has |
| required to produce them. Put more simply, you could | | | | been working on processes to genetically extract |
| say that relatively little energy is required to generate | | | | bacteria more inexpensively, transplanting them into |
| a substantial energy output. While food crops require | | | | plants. If successful, this could by itself reduce |
| a more intensified energy and resources to convert a | | | | petroleum imports by offsetting them with |
| seed into a usable (eatable) product. | | | | domestically produced, price-competitive ethanol, |
| The environmental benefits are just as irresistible. | | | | produced from cellulose-based products. We are |
| Since many of the energy crops are planted and | | | | talking world-wide here. |
| replanted infrequently, you will find less soil erosion | | | | The dramatically important possibilities on this are |
| and environmental damage. You would find food | | | | subdued by the controversy brewing. This |
| crops (corn or wheat) are not only replanted and | | | | controversy is about the soundness and safety of |
| harvested each year, also they require substantially | | | | using the developing genetically modified organism. |
| more chemical fertilizer, labor and energy inputs. | | | | Have you considered the possibilities of how you can |
| This means that food crops will consistently deplete | | | | be a part of the dramatic changeover from fossil fuel |
| the soil of valuable nutritients. Energy crops, on the | | | | alternative energies? Can you afford not to be at |
| other hand, have deeper roots (such as grasses) and | | | | least interested in the methods? |