| Biomass is a term that is coming up more frequently | | | | definition of biomass. However, the coal we have |
| in alternative energy conversations. While many | | | | used for centuries is also biomass. Coal is simply a |
| people simply refer to the plants used to make | | | | denser version of these plants that has been |
| biofuels like ethanol as biomass, this is not entirely | | | | pressurized and chemically altered over millions of |
| true. CO2 in the air combines with water during the | | | | years. Oil and natural gas are also forms of biomass |
| process of photosynthesis. When the process is | | | | that are linked to live plants at some point in the |
| complete, the plants are left with natural | | | | chain of development. |
| carbohydrates, or sugars. These sugars are the main | | | | SO, what is biomass and where does it come from? |
| source of biomass. | | | | Biomass is plants, coal, oil, natural gas and all forms of |
| To put it simply, biomass comes from plants and all | | | | fossil based fuels and bioalternative energy sources |
| fossil fuels are biomass. Well, maybe that is not so | | | | we use today. The substance is all around us and we |
| simple. Let us break down the process to better | | | | touch some form of it nearly every day of our lives, |
| explain where biomass comes from. | | | | most often to the extreme which is why we need |
| When the plants finish the photosynthetic reaction, | | | | renewable sources of this life supporting gift from |
| the sugars can be extracted and used to produce | | | | Earth. |
| ethanol and other biofuels. This is the current | | | | |