Biomass
One way we could drastically combat climate change.
One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to change where our fuel comes from. One alternative to fossil fuels that has been studied is biomass. Biomass accumulates because of photosynthesis, and it is an organic matter that can be harvested and then altered into fuel. It is made of decaying organic matter and forest residues. Biodiesel fuels can be processed with new technology by using animal fats and vegetable oils and has the potential to mitigate 500,000 tons of CO2. If biomass were to become a major fuel source, there would be two pathways in capturing it: through dependent biomass taken from projects like construction and using material such as wood chips or dedicated biomass, which is biomass specifically grown for fuel.
A major factor in growing dedicated biomass, however, is the limited amount of land available and that land’s allocation. Other things to take into consideration include how natural forest biomass may be altered and permanently reduced as well as the carbon stock dynamics in plants. There’s also the possibility of increased environmental problems stemming from different GHGs which may be unexpectedly emitted. To combat these issues that may arise, overall managing will be crucial to replant all harvests, keep track of data, and consider greater threats. Net energy from biomass will ultimately be generated from the energy level at which crops are produced and how much land they consume -- energy production is determined per hectare by the crop yield which is all dependant on climate, soil, management, harvests, and usable to unusable biomass. Plants like perennial crops may be offered as biomass more frequently as they have a higher net energy yield, require lower management, and lower costs.
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A great advantage that using biomass brings is how the carbon produced through the transformation of biomass to fuel is filtered back into the ecosystems and re-used for energy by the vegetation that will be harvested for biofuel in the future. If locations dedicated to biomass are implemented, they would need to be maintained and managed; however, if everything ran smoothly, biomass would create a beautiful cycle of re-using the CO2 emitted.
There are other natural limitations to this system as well, such as the difference in ecosystem capabilities, plant type, carbon intake, and biomass production. In addition, this process wouldn’t create net-zero emissions, because of the carbon emitted converting the biomass into fuel, carbon residence would still linger ranging from 1 year - 15 years. With that being said, an increase in using the organic materials already at our disposal - and at the moment being wasted - could lead to a great reduction in the GHGs.
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Bioenergy has the capability to take over all fuels; today, it already meets 11% of the world’s primary needs as a longstanding energy source, and the amount of biomass globally unused stands with the power to meet 10% of energy needs. In the past, biomass was created through combustion and actually a pollutant, but with new technologies, it is much cleaner and can replace all fossil fuels as it can be converted into solids, liquids, and gas. Many countries like Japan, Ireland, The Netherlands, Tanzania, and Ethiopia have already implemented bioenergy as a major fuel source and have seen great results.